Despite having been engaged in lengthy negotiations for the renewal of the collective agreement, Air Malta and ALPA – the union representing Air Malta pilots, have been unable to reach an agreement, an Air Malta statement said yesterday.

A spokesperson for Air Malta said that the proposals made by ALPA go beyond the capacity of the company to absorb the high cost in the current circumstances and is unsustainable.

As a consequence of the deadlock that has resulted, Air Malta has informed ALPA that it considers the two sides to be in dispute, and it has invoked the provisions of the current collective agreement which provides for compulsory private conciliation.

The spokesperson for Air Malta highlighted that these provisions are intended to resolve situations such as these, without there being any negative impact on the company’s operations or its customers.