Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis expressed his disappointment at the Airline Pilots Association industrial action taking place today when contacted by The Malta Independent.

“Now isn’t the time for negative controversy and I trust ALPA is aware of the potential major and irreversible repercussions on the airline, its staff and the tourism industry. Instead of arguing on whether the next meeting should be held in 20 days time or not, maturity and common sense should previal for ALPA to be aligned with all other stakeholders on the same objective, that is, delivering a positive turnaround of Air Malta”.

 The courts recently denied granting an injunction to hold ALPA from holding any industrial action. The airline and the pilots union continue to remain at loggerheads over a new collective agreement that would replace that which expired at the end of last year. Recently, Air Malta proposed August 31 as the next date for meetings, however the pilots shot this down, demanding an earlier meeting due to the urgency of the matter. Air Malta is arguing that the business plan negotiations must conclude before collective agreement discussions begin.

 “I am disappointed by the fact that, during such a delicate stage of negotiations to guarantee a sustainable future for Air Malta, ALPA opted for industrial actions which effectively offer no solution, but simply cause unnecessary costs for the airline and inconvenience for its clients”.

Malta International Airport earlier said that today is meant to be the busiest day of the year. As such, this newsroom asked how MIA is preparing to handle the situation, given the industrial action.

“As we face the busiest day of the year, our focus remains to provide the best experience for our guests. In the event of unforeseen circumstances, our role would be to facilitate communication between the airline and its passengers. Passengers are advised to check our website for all flight updates,” an MIA spokesman said.