Gozo has always suffered from what can be called “double insularity”. Malta’s sister island is connected to the mainland by a ferry link – a 20 minute boat ride. There is also a seaplane service that departs from Valletta and lands in Mgarr harbour, but that is seasonal and very much dependent on the weather.

 The last administration had proposed a bridge over to Gozo, or a tunnel link, something which the current government is also entertaining. But the problem remains, Gozo is not linked to the outside world.

 At various points in time, there was a helicopter link, but these eventually fizzled out due to their being too expensive to maintain. But now, works have started on a landing strip in Gozo. The idea is to start a service for locals to cross between the two islands and also to bring in visitors from other Schengen countries. Some are against the idea, but not the Gozitans. Rightly so, they have always lobbied for Gozo to be given the opportunity to become a tourist destination in its own right and setting up the airstrip will allow that.

Gozo cannot accommodate a huge runway like there is in Malta (yes by aviation standards, Luqa’s main runway is huge). Gozo’s space is limited and this, in turn, will limit the size of any airstrip there. But it could still allow for commercial flights on small airliners to land there. We often think that airliners are huge and cumbersome machines that would be too large to land there. But again, it is not the case. Many airlines operate small aircraft that can take about 50 to 100 passengers over quite a reasonable distance and land on a short runway without any issues. That could be the case with Gozo. Smaller airliners could fly in and make Gozo a stopover on their way to Malta. But the setting up of a landing strip could also attract more visitors in terms of light aircraft owners and hobby pilots in the ultralight aircraft realm.  So the airstrip would not only serve to attract ‘commercial’ tourists, but also those who might fly off there for a weekend in their own plane from Sicily, or south Italy, for example.

The demand is there. Gozo is still known as an idyllic hideaway and one of the Mediterranean’s best kept secrets.

But therein lies another issue. If Gozo does become a tourist destination in its own right, would its charm be irrevocably changed? Maybe. But time cannot stand still forever. The decision to sink a cruise liner buoy off Gozo gave it a much needed boost when cruise liners began to put it on their itinerary.

And the setting up of an airstrip would do the same. Helicopters have proven to be not viable, as they are much more expensive than fixed wing planes to operate. The government’s plans have not yet been unveiled in detail, but it is certain that something is in the pipeline. Of course, there are environmental aspects to consider – both in terms of land use and noise pollution. But as has been stated already, time cannot stand still forever. Gozo needs to become more self sustaining and the airlink will be one such way for it to do so. Time will tell, but many do believe that the overall picture will be positive.