The reputation of Air Malta as a reliable airline is sinking in the same way that the reputation of the minister responsible for the national carrier plummeted when the Panama Papers scandal erupted a few years ago.

Konrad Mizzi, who shares the same initials as Air Malta flights, has not recovered in terms of trustworthiness since then. What we hope is that Air Malta will not suffer the same fate.

Yes, we tend to agree with what Nationalist Party deputy leader Robert Arrigo said in Parliament a few days ago. “We are getting a bad name,” Arrigo stressed, knowing how important Air Malta is to the whole economy of the country, considering that the tourism sector is the main pillar on which it is built.

Mizzi played down the apprehension, saying that such issues are expected when the airline is growing, but it is clear that since he took over the reins as minister responsible for Air Malta, the way the airline is perceived by the public at large has changed.

For many years, and in spite of the more recent financial difficulties the airline encountered, Air Malta was held in high esteem by both Maltese travellers as well as others wanting to visit the island, as tourists or for business. They saw the airline as being reliable, trustworthy and, most of all, safe, but recent happenings have thrown all this to the dogs.

Certain disputable decisions on the leasing of aircraft are one particular issue that has led to problems for Air Malta. But, more than this, it is the more frequent delays and cancellations that are giving the airline a bad name.

Air Malta continues to retain the best slots for travellers, particularly when it comes to the times of its scheduled flights and airports serviced, but people are now arguing that it is better to have a more inconvenient time of flight and a less comfortable airport of destination than risk booking with Air Malta, especially if there are connections to be made with other flights or to make it in time to board cruise ships.

Whereas, in the past, Air Malta was the automatic choice for most Maltese people wanting to travel abroad, this is no longer the case. The presence of so many low cost airlines – offering much cheaper flights than Air Malta – had already eaten into the national carrier’s market, and the new scenario pushed the national airline to re-invent itself to try to remain competitive. Now that the edge Air Malta had in terms of time slots has started to be lost and reliability is no longer an adjective associated with the airline, passengers are looking elsewhere.

Air Malta cannot afford to allow all that it managed to build over more than four decades to crumble – both for its own good and that of the country.

To once again quote Robert Arrigo, “it has to get its act together”. The sooner the better, we’d like to add.