The Gozo Business Chamber has again called for a regular air link between Malta and Gozo, saying some investors who want to grow their business have been put off by the difficulty of getting to the sister island.

The chamber had expressed support for a Gozo-Malta air link as far back as 2006, when it said the link was vital to enhancing the tourist potential of Gozo and serving its residents.

Joe Grech, president of the Gozo Chamber, told The Sunday Times of Malta yesterday that the lack of continuous connectivity between Malta and Gozo was a big drawback for businesses.

Read: Could Gozo get its own airport?

“Foreign investors have to land at Malta International Airport, drive all the way to Ċirkewwa and catch the ferry to Gozo,” he said, saying this was a strong deterrent for any business person.

Last year, the government said that it was looking into ways to develop an air link to create better connectivity between the islands.

According to a consultation document, “the government believes that in order to attract quality tourists and to promote Gozo as a distinct destination, there should be the possibility for Gozo to be accessed directly through an air link”.

The government also said it believed an air link would provide additional inter-island connectivity, as well as the possibility of connecting Gozo “directly with other regions”.

For investors, every minute is precious

Asked about developments, the Gozo Ministry said yesterday that it would be “making any update public” and the media would be briefed “accordingly”. The spokes-man for the ministry did not provide further details.

The building of an air strip on Gozo to cater for a fixed-wing aircraft has generally been opposed by environmental organisations. Meanwhile, the last regular helicopter service to be offered between the two islands, by a Spanish company, shut down more than a decade ago.

Mr Grech also insisted that other measures, such as a fourth ferry, would help lessen the connectivity problems encountered by Gozitans.

“For us, physical connection is critical, and it needs to be available immediately,” Mr Grech said, adding that for investors, every minute was precious.

Mr Grech was speaking on the fringes of a public discussion regarding Gozo’s future in the European Union.

Speaking during the discussion, Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola said that Gozo Channel, the ferry company, was in dire need of “urgent modernisation and boat upgrading”.

Dr Metsola said a fast ferry for the sister island should have “started years ago”, adding that this would lead to a better quality of life for everyone.

Gozitans who travel daily to work in Malta should not see their pay spent on transport fees, Dr Metsola said, adding that workers nowadays had the means to work from home. Labour MEP Alfred Sant, on the other hand, encouraged greater attention to Gozo’s traditional sectors, noting they faced great challenges.

“Available land for farming is decreasing, and I believe one way to address this is to make sure that it is sustained,” he said.

We are focusing on “new, shiny, glamorous industries” and we are not investing in farmers, insisted Dr Sant.

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