The government is acting as a “bully” in the Air Malta situation, the Nationalist Party said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference, the PN’s spokesperson for maritime affairs and employment, Ivan Castillo, referred to the contracts the government had signed with employee representatives in February, after announcing it was going to alleviate costs from the airline by letting go of some of its employees.

“These actions are a threat to the future of Malta’s national airline” he said.

The MP said that this behaviour from the Labour government is leaving many families and employees feeling demoralised, as some of them have spent decades working with Air Malta.

Mentioning the time and date selected for the dismissal of the 577 employees, he said that 12 August was not a good idea as it is peak tourist season and “this will have a negative impact on the airline”.

Castillo said that before the Labour government was first elected in 2013, the PN had drafted a plan for the national airline to become profitable, yet he did not delve into the specifics.

Additionally, he said that the government should answer questions, such how it has spent €6m on aviation services.

Castillo also questioned the criteria with which Air Malta employees are being selected, since the roster for August is already out.

He said that something new which the Opposition has come to know is that the government is “bullying” Air Malta employees into leaving or else the airline is going to be liquidated after the set date.

This is doing nothing other than add more stress and demoralising employees, he said.

PN spokesperson for finance Jerome Caruana Cilia, also addressing the press conference, said that by not adhering to the signed contract, the government is acting in an amateurish way, and this shows that it does not know how to plan.

He added that, whilst other countries are helping their citizens to get back on their feet during such difficult times caused by inflation, “the Labour government is turning to its ministers asking them how they are going to slash spending by €200 million.”

Quoting newspaper articles showing how the government is awarding tenders to “its clique,” Caruana Cilia said that public funds should not be misused.