Is it politics that is holding the construction of a mere 700 metres of tarmac on which a small commuter plane can land and take off, and once again start a viable air service between the islands?

When so many millions are pumped here and there, why is it so difficult to fork out a minute sum and have this much needed infrastructure done. What is holding this whole thing up?

Procrastination on the part of the authorities leads nowhere and is in itself extremely unhealthy. The area in question, which in most part is government property, is serving as an immense rubbish dump. If, and I repeat if, archaeological remains are in the vicinity, according to some so-called experts, these are much way off the proposed Lambert section, where in years gone by, an airfield had one of two runways, during the war years.

MaltaToday of Wednesday 7th October had a two-page article by the “doom and gloom” brigade, who have at heart the “thumbs down” for this concept, and do not mind leaving Gozo in the Middle Ages.

Most of the infrastructure for the airstrip is already in place. The fire brigade has its headquarters there, the company or companies, which are ready to start operating, are waiting for the word GO. It’s that little bit of tarmac that needs to be laid to enable a small plane from where to land / take off. So why all this fuss? Gozo is missing out on a great number of opportunities connected with aviation concerning small islands. Gozo does not need a fully-fledged airport. Whoever thinks that is very wide off the mark. I would be the first to shoot down such a proposal. What Gozo needs is just a small gateway by air to Malta and to the outside world. It would be an added access to success. We already suffer from its double insularity in autumn. In winter we hibernate.

I may be just one of the few who, time and again, tries to advance some valued arguments to those who in some way or another embark on a subject with little or no knowledge at all about the matter.

I hope that the powers that be, particularly the Gozitan Members of Parliament on both sides of the House, will take the bull by the horns and have the courage, the pep, to take the bold decision in favour of this much needed bit of tarmac that would certainly give Gozo a good shot in the arm.

Franco J. Scicluna

Victoria