The Malta Hotels and Restaurants Association (MHRA) is insisting that Air Malta should keep the national interests ahead of any others.

In a statement, the MHRA said it has over the past years emphasised that Malta’s dependence, as an island, on airline connectivity makes any potential loss in the control of Airmalta a serious threat to the future of our tourism sector.  

MHRA has also been consistent in urging a change of the business model for Air Malta and beyond rhetoric has also provided Government with various options for change and support where necessary to efforts in seeking the best arrangement for Airmalta with potential strategic partners. 

MHRA is also aware that the country has invested €250 million in Air Malta over the last 5 years and given its strategic importance to our tourism sector, MHRA President Mr Tony  Zahra  emphasised that, “Air Malta is not a national liability but rather a very important asset which must be valued as such.”  Indeed, MHRA has on various occasions demonstrated that there is a direct correlation between the number of seats available and the number of tourist arriving in Malta.  Accordingly, any decrease of seats would have a negative impact on arrivals and consequently on the economy of Malta and Government income from tax thereby risking increasing Government’s deficit.  

Mr Zahra further asserted that, “Reductions in point to point routes from our main source markets is considered by MHRA as a major threat to the sustainability of our tourism sector.  While it is important that AirMalta seeks to operate on commercial lines and develop new markets this must not be done at the cost of weakening the actual source markets that are contributing heavily to the success that the economy is currently marking.”

MHRA emphasises that the important source markets for our tourism sector are not in North Africa but rather in Europe.  Furthermore, the only connectivity model which makes business sense to our economy is point to point as against operating the national airline as a feeder service to other potential airlines.

As key stakeholders of Air Malta, MHRA will be meeting the Minister of Tourism and the Chairperson of AirMalta to further discuss these critical issues and accordingly keep exploring avenues of how together will ensure that Airmalta will continue to serve the interests of Malta in a sustainable manner.