Prime Minister Joseph Muscat today insisted that the government had no plan to privatise or partially privatise Air Malta.

His assertion, however, did not exclude that a link-up with a Chinese airline – possibly Cathay Pacific – may be in the offing, as reported by The Malta Independent today.

The press conference concerned the “good news” which Dr Muscat had been hinting at during political activities this week. But while he said, yesterday evening, that the government would do for Air Malta what it would do for Enemalta, the announcement had nothing to do with the national airline.

Instead, the government simply announced a slight reduction in the price of petrol and of LPG, and that while petrol and diesel prices would be locked until the end of the year, LPG prices would be locked until the end of September.

Asked on his statement comparing Air Malta and Enemalta, however, Dr Muscat insisted that this did not necessarily mean that the airline would be partly sold-off to a Chinese company – as is the case with Enemalta. He said that the comparison simply meant that the government is transforming both from an economic millstone to an economic motor.

The Prime Minister reiterated that the airline’s turnaround would not be achieved through cuts but through growth, stating that the plan was to expand its markets – particularly by looking south.

He said that Air Malta could serve as a bridge between different regions, centred on the Mediterranean.

A link-up with another airline, of course, could contribute to such a target.