The demand for an airstrip in Gozo is hotting up, with the government apparently giving the initiative its blessing. In the past, the issue has been something of a hot potato, but ever since the recent demise of the helicopter link, the general feeling seems to be that a fixed-wing operation may be needed. MICHAEL CARABOTT looks into the technical aspects that would determine the ultimate decision

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Runway must be 1,200 metres long to accommodate STOL aircraft

A local aviation expert, whose name is being withheld, told The Malta Independent that nothing short of a 1,200-metre landing strip will do to offer a fixed-wing air service to Gozo.

The primary reason for this, he said, was simply the safety of the passengers and crew, because one would need a twin-engine turboprop aircraft with short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities.

The expert pointed out that one would have to plump for the twin-engine turboprop over a single-engine piston or turboprop, or even a single-engine turboprop, for various reasons.

The first reason he cited was the simple fact of having two pilots in the cabin. “Two pilots are better than one. What if one of the pilots had a heart attack and died while in flight? One can obviously see the safety advantage in that, especially when carrying fare-paying passengers,” he said.

In addition, he pointed out that turboprop aircraft were much more reliable than piston engine aircraft. To put matters into perspective, he said that a single-engine turboprop was four times more reliable than a twin-piston engine aircraft.

He pointed out that a piston engine aircraft, such as the Britten Norman Islander (currently in service with the AFM), would be tremendously costly to operate, and that this cost would subsequently be passed on to the customer.

Speaking about the viability of single-engine aircraft, our expert said: “Forget it. It simply would not make any commercial sense to ferry over three passengers at a time. One would never make ends meet. You also have luggage to think about and again, the safety aspect.” However, he did point out that this would mean a shorter runway length.

He said that no operator would seriously consider offering the service from Malta to Gozo if the runway is less than 1,200 metres long. “Personally, in addition, I would prefer to see a hard surface runway rather than grass or compacted dirt,” he said.

He pointed out that when wet, grass runways lengthened take off by a significant amount while dirt strips are uncomfortable for passengers due to the motion of the aircraft while on the ground. The expert said that it would not make sense to simply lengthen the existing helicopter strip. “You have Xewkija, and in particular the church behind you and there are farms in front of you. What should be done is to turn the existing site into a small apron and service station while a new runway should be laid down adjacent to it,” he said.

Another issue that must be factored in, said the expert, is that aircraft loads in summer in Malta would have to be reduced. “It is a technical thing. The hotter it is, the longer the take-off and the less load can be carried. We must bear in mind that we hit 40 degrees Celsius in this country during what would be peak season,” he said.

Asked about the advantages of turboprops, our expert said that for starters, they could employ reverse thrust to stop in a shorter distance. It would take an aircraft such as the LET-410 or the DHC Twin Otter about 800 metres to take off and land. “But again, personally as a pilot, I would not like to see a fence looming at me as I power up for take-off or am on final approach,” he said.

The expert said that an airstrip in Gozo could also encourage aviation tourism and flyers could, due to the Schengen Agreement, use the landing strip. “It could open all sorts of avenues,” he said.

Asked about transit time, the expert said: “Flight time should not take more than 11 minutes. I think it’s safe to say that passengers would probably spend less than 30 minutes inside the aircraft.”

Asked about the possibility of using an amphibian aircraft (used from land and sea), our expert said that it would be commercial suicide. “Put it this way, if the Gozo ferry is not working due to bad weather, how on earth would you land a small plane in rough sea? And there is also the issue of maintenance. If you use an amphibian in salt water, you would shorten its life span from 30 years to about seven years. It would have to be washed down every time it is used. Who will pay for that? The customer, of course,” he said.

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Airstrip alone will not solve Gozo’s problems – Gozo Business Chamber

Gozo Business Chamber president Joseph Grech said he believed that having an airstrip for fixed-wing aircraft or a helipad for a helicopter will not in itself solve Gozo’s tourism problems.

“However, it is an undeniable fact that an air link will definitely boost tourism to Gozo and it will also be of benefit to the locals,” he said.

He continued: “The important thing is that prices are kept within a reasonable parameter and that the service is reliable and punctual, especially in the case of passengers taking the trip from Gozo to Malta who have to make the connection to their flight home or, if local, to their overseas destination.”

On the other hand, Mr Grech said he did not believe that the issue of having a golf course in Gozo would have anything to do with the viability of a fixed-wing air link.

“The number of visitors to Gozo using the air service will depend on the affordability of the price. The latest discontinued helicopter service was too expensive. And the Gozo Business Chamber does not feel that an airstrip will spoil Gozo, but an alternative service could be offered by using seaplanes,” he concluded.

Meanwhile, Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) President Josef Formosa Gauci said that the association believes that apart from the normal Gozo Channel ferry, Gozo needs to have an efficient, reliable and feasible air service.

“A decision on what type of aircraft this can be and what facilities it requires can only be taken once a study has been carried out analysing the operational costs and the expected demand,” he said.

He also said that one should also take into consideration the environmental impact of any means of transport decided upon, so as to ensure that Gozo retains its characteristics which are its main selling point with tourists.

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‘Aerodrome would need at least one runway and a small aircraft parking area’

Civil Aviation director general Joseph Sultana said that people should not miss the wood for the trees when debating the issue of an airstrip for Gozo. He said that first and foremost, people needed to realise that an airstrip alone will not suffice as services would be needed, hence the need for a small aerodrome.

Mr Sultana said: “Rather than talk about the construction of an airstrip, one should talk about the construction of an aerodrome for the purpose of take-off and landing of aeroplanes. An aerodrome would need at least one runway and a small aircraft parking area.”

He said the length of the runway depends on the type of aeroplane that is meant to use it. Not all aeroplanes can use a runway without any limitations because aeroplanes have different operating characteristics, he explained, adding that the runway needs to have a strip surrounding it which has to be clear of obstacles while approach and take-off paths of the runway should ideally be free of obstacles.

He said the existence of the latter obstacles can impose operating limitations, such as lower payloads, on an aircraft.

“The design of a runway in Malta is based on the standards and recommended practices of Annex 14 to the Convention on International Civil Aviation.

This annex contains various specifications such as runway and taxiway widths, longitudinal and transverse gradients of runway and strip, obstacle removal and marking surfaces etc,” he said.

He pointed out that a runway should ideally be aligned to the prevailing wind, which in Malta is for the most part a north westerly, although the wind also blows frequently from the southeast. “The actual alignment of a runway

may however be constrained by the orographical nature of the site where it is built, by natural or man-made obstacles, and other considerations such as existing infrastructure, roads and others,” said Mr Sultana.

He explained that once a runway of specific characteristics is built, any aircraft that is capable of operating from it, with or without restrictions, can use it.

Runways are coded according to length, for example, Code 1 maximum length 800m, Code 2 maximum length not exceeding 1,200m and so on.

“Clearly, while an aeroplane that is meant to operate on a Code 1 runway can operate on a Code 2 runway without any limitations, an aeroplane designed to operate from a Code 2 runway with maximum length will not be able to operate from a Code 1 runway without severe limitations,” he explained.

In addition, he said an aerodrome must have fencing to prevent the inadvertent ingress of persons or animals into the runway area and rescue and fire-fighting facilities. In addition, it would require the installation of Precision Approach Path Indicators (PAPIs) and for night operations, other surface lighting would be required such as runway edge lights, runway end lights and runway threshold lights. A lighted wind sock is also required, while authorisation to land depends on the aerodrome operator’s policy, which would also take into account aerodrome operating limitations, he said.

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What does flying from a small airstrip entail?

The smallest commercial airstrip in the world is found on Saba Island, Netherlands Antilles in the Caribbean: Juancho E Yrausquin.

Saba is smaller than Gozo and has a single 1,300-foot airstrip. It also features a fuel service area, and a small apron for the parking of small aircraft. Although no fatal accidents have ever been reported, Saba is regarded as one of the most difficult and dangerous approaches in the world.

Another very small airstrip can be found on Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia. This is a 960-foot long runway. Another example, although much larger, is the 6,000-foot long airstrip in Gibraltar which almost dominates the entire area of this small overseas piece of British territory.

Examples of aircraft which could operate in Saba are the twin turboprops DHC-6 Twin Otter which is operated in Saba by Winair as well as the Shorts Skyvan. Both aircraft have Short Take-Off and Landing capabilities (STOL). The two aircraft can carry between 13 and 20 passengers and their luggage.