'You're in for a lot of surprises', Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said when asked to reveal under what minister and administration the Air Malta pilots collective agreement was signed.

Last week it was revealed that the government is planning to offer Air Malta pilots between €750,000 and €1 million each as part of its plan to save the airline from bankruptcy.

Details about the plan to buy them out were presented to several unions and constituted bodies also last week by the minister himself.

It is understood that he told the Malta Council for Economic and Social Development that currently there are around 80 pilots who enjoy an early retirement scheme, which means that over the span of a decade they will have received 2/3rds of their salary.

Replying to a question by PN MP Ivan Castillo in Parliament, Caruana said that "nothing is going to be done before everything is discussed".

Regarding the early retirement scheme (ERS), he said that the rights for employees to leave when they please has always been there and that its liquidation is still being discussed.

He said that "you're in for a lot of surprises", whilst referring to the many comments on social media, especially Facebook, where people are questioning as to how the situation evolved.