European pilots group 'deeply concerned' about Air Malta redundancies

The European association representing pilots has written to Robert Abela in support of Air Malta's pilots, 108 of whom were made redunant after their union refused a pay cut.

The European Cockpit Association (ECA), writing to the Prime Minister and Economy Minister Silvio Schembri, said it was "deeply concerned" with Air Malta's decision to let go of the pilots due to the COVID-19 crisis.

In a letter sent on Monday, in which Malta's MEPs as well as a number of MPs, including PN leader Adrian Delia, were copied in, the European pilots' lobby compared Air Malta's decision unfavourably to that taken by other airlines.

"In Europe, the majority of the airlines, including the airline group of Air Malta’s direct competitor in the island, have reached job retention agreements with their pilots to ensure that they will be ready to take their duties as soon as the operations resume," ECA said.

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"The agreements ensure that pilots will receive between 55 and up to 90% of their current pay during the crisis. We regret that Air Malta has not taken a similar approach towards its employees."

The European pilots said it was "deplorable" that an airline providing strategic service to Malta should fail to protect its workforce during the crisis brought on by the coronavirus.

Air Malta's pilots formed the backbone of the national carrier's operations and delivered high skill value sets, ranging from flying to maintaining highly specific administrative and technical jobs, and providing training.

Re-hiring the 108 pilots will require an important investment, ECA said, and instructors to train the new pilots will no longer be available, since they were dismissed, ECA highlighted.

"Laying off the pilots is not only against the EU’s collective efforts to ensure that the highest level of employment is maintained (specific EU funds are available to finance e.g. short-time working and to provide support to people who lost their jobs as a result of major global economic and financial crisis), but also compromises the reprisal of the activity in the future," the European pilots said.

"Maintaining employment relationships during the crisis will enable a swift return to operations once this emergency is over."

The ECA went on to as the government to guarantee a fair percentage of pilots' pay.

"Therefore, we would like to request the Maltese government to ensure that such a critical and strategic company for the country will guarantee a fair percentage of the salaries for its pilots during this crisis."

The Association stressed that the burden of the current situation had to be borne equally by all employees, and that pilots were willing to carry their fair share once it was ensured that the State would use all its tools to mainain employment before considering permanent redundancies.

The ECA is a European organisation representing around 40,000 pilots, including those at Air Malta.