Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis did not confirm rumours, mentioned by Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco, that Air Malta’s fleet would be further downsized to eight planes in the summer and seven in the winter, from the current 10.

Plan is to reduce fleet of planes to seven or eight

The minister said the plans were for Air Malta to review its route network, and consequently fleet requirements, with an attentive eye to the needs of the tourism sector. Some routes were not commercially viable but were nonetheless important to the country’s tourism.

He told Claudio Grech (PN) the situation was “a little more complex” than Opposition MPs were making it out to be. The restructuring programme stipulated a smaller route network. The process also depended on the number of scheduled and charter flights to be operated.

The government not only wanted to maintain Air Malta’s seat capacity, now at 43 per cent of the whole, but was continuously welcoming new airlines on to the route.