The Gozo airstrip saga hits the headlines again

An extensive survey on fares and routes of 17/19-seater and smaller planes EU flights was published by yours truly in The Malta Independent on Sunday on 20 July 2008 (see online archive).

For short trip non-pressurized 17/19-seater twin-turboprop planes, only the Czech Let 410/420 has widely competitive fares as well as the best cabin product. The more recently certificated Polish Sikorsky-PZL M28 Skytruck (ordered by US Air Force as special forces transport) has the shortest runway requirements, high cabin standard, and impressive safety reserves (single-engine climb-out power, stall-proof wing), but so far no EU airline use. Both can use gravel or grass airstrips.

Current Canadian Twin Otters are 25 to 35 years old. Fares are mostly expensive. Perhaps a new-production aircraft (manufacturing restarted) would be more competitive (less maintenance). One will see what Harbour Air charges as a rough estimate, though water landings are only fine weather options. Sure, land-based planes cannot fly in a big storm, but there is no comparison.

A new Twin-Otter lasting say 25 years costs $3.5-4 million, equal to three MTV evening concerts. The Czech Lets come and fly cheaper. For land, Twin Otters have optional “tundra tyres”. Primarily used in Canada and Alaska on thawed hence very muddy dirt strips, they distribute weight on a larger footprint than standard tyres, meaning least load/tear on a grass/soil, but Let and Skytruck are also trouble-free.

Whatever type, one could re-activate MAC (ex Air Malta helicopter subsidiary), hiring flight operation externally and just doing sales/marketing. Air Malta is much better than standalone small operators distribution-channel-wise.

Low demand hours

Low demand hours require smaller planes. The Britten-Norman Islander, a two-piston engine plane for seven passengers with luggage, has good short field performance but quite high fares. The only less expensively priced services are apparently subsidized (Ireland). Helisureste-like unsubsidized fare levels are no help, and neither are subsidies.

An alternative could be an Australian aircraft that has been successful since deliveries started in 2000.

Gippsland Airvan – low-cost from down under

The single piston engine aircraft, built near Melbourne, seats six to seven passengers with rear stowage area, plus an optional under-fuselage luggage pod.

Designed for Australian outback operations (heat, dirt airstrips, no maintenance infrastructure), it is robust and uncomplicated, operating globally for tourism and bush operators.

According to the manufacturer, landing distance over a 50ft obstacle is 380m, and take-off distance to 50ft 550ms (non-emergency power). This is maybe not in the heat of a Maltese summer (heat negatively affects take-off rolls), but at maximum take-off weight – not reached here (low fuel load), it helps.

A 550-600m runway should suffice for the 30kms hop, and for Comiso/Catania with a Skytruck or Twin Otter. With the Let 420 (Let 410 optimized for heat) it might also work given one does not operate at full load (fuel), while for the Let 410 a 650-700m airstrip is better. Before decisions are taken, one should recheck temperature/flight distance to runway data for the concrete case with manufacturers. Whatever the case, flights beyond Catania are commercial nonsense.

An Airvan costs ca. $450,000, while a Cessna Caravan, which EU-wide can only carry two more passengers, costs $2m. So purchasing an Airvan lasting 20 years equals one third of the State’s contribution to one single MTV evening concert/party as thrown during the last legislature.

Airvan fares

Fifteen-minute scenic flights with the Airvan over the German Wattenmeer national park/east Frisian Islands with OLT cost e30 per person. Kammair charges e325 for 30 minutes for six people from Rotterdam international airport. Central American operators charge $475 per hour (cheaper Avgas). EU operations stand at e100 per 10 minutes for six to seven passengers.

For a 10-minute MIA-Gozo ride and a five-passenger load, one might thus have a return fare of ca. e45, quite contrasting Heli Tours Malta (20 minutes e125, 30 minutes e165 pp) or white taxis, and for singles and couples maybe still a good deal compared to arranged transfer car too.

Scenic flights could run when the 19-seater flies. EASA-certification is for day and night VFR, as well as IFR flight rules operations.

Contrary to the Islander, the Airvan is only a single-engine plane (lowers cost), yet there were no problems under incomparably more difficult conditions. Gippsland also hopes to relaunch the 17-seat twin-turboprop Nomad N24 (shorter version of the N22 known used in the TV series Flying Doctors) with new engines, avionics and other modifications (the original model was not unproblematic) since buying rights from Boeing.

Partly neutralizing runway cost

At least for a grass/gravel runway one could have runway/taxiways constructed, strictly following a plan from civil authorities, by AFM engineers, maybe as a joint exercise with some affiliated army.

Malta pays AFM staff and army/PWD machinery anyway – productive or not. Contractors could do when one has no machinery. Private construction is not always better; see roads. Lights and PAPI approach aid must be sourced externally. The AFM should in return get free use of the airstrip, saving on flight costs for patrols north and west of Malta (see The Malta Independent on Sunday, 14 September 2008).

Such a runway could be provisional. After say three to five years one decides if one wants the runway in tarmac (less chance of foreign object damage, skidding, no seasonal eventual mud or dust), or if grass/gravel suffices, or one reverts to agriculture/wasteland.

The WWII airstrip was four times as large (two grass/gravel runways, each 1200m long) and has disappeared.

A “private public partnership” real estate development project, under the pretext that the State has no money, should be avoided. Property vacancy rates are high, costs are not and free land scarce.

One should concentrate exclusively on:

• MIA shuttle with 17/19-seater plus 6/7-seater

• 17/19-seater Catania flights (anything longer is commercial nonsense)

• AFM flights

• microlight and light sports aircraft use

Low airstrip development and flight costs, sales/marketing agreements with Air Malta (which would want reliability); the appropriate check-tru option, short transit time, high and concurrently demand-oriented frequency, and correct organisation timing will be a decisive factor in its success or failure.

An intact nature, historic architecture restored and respected, and convenient, reliable, reasonably priced access, are important for a tourism-dependent small island.