I refer to a letter by Romano Cassar (TMID, 13 February) in relation to Ryanair’s new route from Dublin to Malta.

Mr Cassar states that every Maltese resident is “paying Ryanair for the privilege of accepting each passenger”.

This characterisation is completely misleading. Malta’s tourism industry has been in steady decline for the last number of years because the cost of access (air fares) was substantially higher than those to virtually every other country in the EU and in particular those tourist destinations which competed directly with Malta.

These high air fares were caused in considerable part by the exorbitantly high airport charges at Malta International Airport. By common consent these charges are among the highest of any airport in Europe and are strangling the Maltese government’s efforts to increase tourism to the island.

The scheme with the government launched late last year and which underpins Ryanair’s three routes from Luton, Pisa and Dublin is an attempt to ameliorate the effect of these exorbitant charges by bringing the net cost to any airline wishing to avail of this scheme in line with charges at airports elsewhere in Europe. Ryanair has agreed to start these three routes on the basis of this scheme and the net passenger cost resulting from the scheme .

It may have escaped Mr Cassar’s attention but each of these visitors to Malta is expected to spend an average of 420 euros while on the island, not including their air fare. This massive contribution to the Maltese economy represents an enormous return on the investment made by the Maltese government in their scheme in the first place. Already hoteliers are witnessing a modest upturn in demand and this should serve as an indicator of what can be achieved should the scheme be extended to the level suggested by Ryanair and many others who have the genuine good of Maltese tourism as their objective.

Mr Cassar’s conclusions are misplaced. Access to Malta has been constrained by the monopolistic high prices at Malta International Airport. The government’s marketing scheme is in reality a subsidy to the airport to help bring the net cost into line with international levels to allow the island compete for its share of the growing tourism market created by low fare air travel.

Michael Cawley

Chief operating officer and deputy chief executive

Ryanair