The union of Air Malta pilots (ALPA) has hit out at allegations that there has been an increase in pilots reporting sick for sick, labelling the reports as old hat allegations "made by Air Malta's management in the past as a cover up intended to mask the actual state of affairs and the gross mismanagement at the higher tiers of the company".

ALPA lambasted the airline, saying that it is no secret that Air Malta's mismanagement has reached "unprecedented levels of incompetence and that this state of affairs is leading the national airline into turbulence with its passengers and crew".

It observed how during the month of September 2018, Air Malta had claimed that there had been a 1,000 per cent increase in crew sicknesses - "a false claim which has, to date, not been corroborated by any form of evidence whatsoever.

"These allegations were, indeed, solely intended as a cover-up for the incompetence of the select few who were appointed to steer our national airline into the path of self-destruction," ALPA charged.

Notwithstanding that, ALPA claimed that the airline's management "seems intent on fabricating yet another set of lies, despite the fact that, to the best of our knowledge, no formal investigation has been launched in order to corroborate the veracity of the said allegations".

ALPA accordingly urged the airline to "treat any such reports with the requisite level of seriousness expected thereof, as well as to launch a formal investigation into the underlying causes of any fatigue or ill health which may be reported by any of our members.

"This is in order to prevent the materialisation of internationally-recognised flight safety risks."