While the country was celebrating the 50th anniversary of our independence, reports continued to emerge in the media that Air Malta, the national airline, is once again in dire straits.

In a very short period of time, the airline has had its chairman changed, then its CEO replaced and then this replacement CEO resigned too, leaving a vacuum behind him.

Other key airline officials have also resigned and, like the CEO, have not been replaced so far.

Nevertheless, the airline continues to fly and each flight is full of passengers.

The national airline is one of the key achievements of Malta’s independence. It is a key contributor to the national economy and it was the new president of the Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association, Matthew Pace, who said last week that ‘If we lose Air Malta, our economy will fail.’

This is not the time, nor the place, to see why the airline is once again in dire difficulties. What is urgent to be done is to see if there is still a margin of possibility for the airline to be saved, as it is, and, if not, to see how it is best to save what can be saved of it.

Over the years, we have all become familiar, perhaps too familiar, with the airline, its planes, its quirks and its advantages. The airline has become a household friend to all of us and, indeed, life without it is pretty much unimaginable.

Yet, what may be happening, happened to other airlines, some much bigger than ours, and nothing could save them. Yet, for all Mr Pace’s dire predictions, people still fly to Hungary, one of the countries whose airline has gone bust. And all undercover aspersions about Peter Davies do seem rather trite now that we learn that the other beleaugured airline Cyprus Air is about to engage him as CEO.

Air Malta is crucial for our tourism industry and, like the industry, it has many ramifications and spin-offs that reach most Maltese households in a way that not even bloated Alitalia does in Italy.

Whatever the medium-term and long-term solutions that may be found for the airline, in the short term it is absolutely urgent to find replacements for those who have left. In this regard, the assurance given by the government that head-hunting is taking place and a replacement may be announced within some two weeks is, in the circumstances, reassuring.

Whatever happened in these three years, the sale of Air Malta land to the government, and Selmun Palace, the downsizing of the airline and its fleet, the hiving off of non-core operations – all this worked and then did not work. In the meantime there was a costly re-branding the money for which could possibly have been spent elsewhere such as in less weighty passenger seats, etc.

It is true that the turmoil in Libya did affect the airline, but then its troubles became apparent even before the turmoil hit.

The airline is now between a rock and a hard place, the rock being its situation and the hard place the EU rules on State aid. Many possible solutions are being ventilated, most of which seem to be selling part of the airline to a big carrier which may be enticed to use Malta as a hub. Other proposed solutions include something more than just an alliance with some big carrier.

Whatever is decided, here’s to hoping the right decisions are being taken. At the same time we must all avoid loose talk of impending doom as if the end of the world is nigh.