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Air Malta restructuring plan goes to Brussels, but PL says 'it wasn't discussed'
UPDATE 2 | An ambitious and job-slashing restructuring plan for Air Malta has been formally submitted by government to the European Commission on Monday, the last day of a deadline imposed by Brussels.
Speaking from Brussels last Tuesday night at the end of an Ecofin meeting, finance minister Tonio Fenech said that “the ball is now in the European Commission’s court,” describing as “semantical” a question put to him by Business Today that it is rather a question of government conforming with the tough requirements to allow the national airline to remain afloat.
He said that the €52 million state loan granted to Air Malta last November has already started being drawn by the airline.
The plan will now be subjected to scrutiny by a team of experts in Brussels who may ask for clarifications or even disagree with the contents and ask for changes.
Should the Commission continue to register disagreement, then Air Malta may be forced to dissolve all of its assets and immediately pay back the loan and ground all operations.
“Air Malta is not a lone case. Throughout these years we have seen many airlines go through a similar process, and we shouldn’t be over-dramatic,” Fenech said.
The finance minister would not go into the content of the restructuring plan, which so far has been a main bone of contention between the airline and ALPA, the Airline Pilots Association.
With a 1,500 workforce and 12 leased aircraft, the plan reportedly suggests the slashing of 600 jobs, prompting concerns from the General Workers Union.
In a statement, the Labour Party criticised government for not presenting the finalised restructuring plan to the Steering Committee.
The PL accused government of using the Steering Committee as a "smokescreen" and not as a forum for genuine discussion on a matter of national importance.
Labour said that the last time the Steering Committe met, was more than a month ago, and no further meetings were held to approve the finalised version of Air Malta's restructuring plan.
In a statement replying to Labour, the ministry of finance said that the restructuring plan that was presented to the European Commission had "no changes" made to it from the last meeting by the Steering Committee.
The ministry added that during the time of discussions, all stakeholders had the chance to submit their positions for consideration, and while compiled, government was in constant contact with the Commission.
"The restructuring plan is within the strict parameters permitted by the European Commission," the statement said.
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Air Malta is not a lone case. Throughout these years we have seen many airlines go through a similar process, and we shouldn’t be over-dramatic.
Trid tkunu vera bla qoxra f wicckom ta biex l - ewwel qridtu l Air Malta u issa tghidu li mhux ha tkun ta l ewwel. L arrogagaza li rabejtu ma tinfelahx izzjed u haqkom minn jiprocessakom kriminalment meta taqaw mill gvern. Hlejtuna flusna ja qatta briganti u hallelin tal familji maltin. Sehta fuq il flus kolla li sraqtu.
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That is because this is the new way of doing politics, according to Gonzi when he was elected leader of PN!
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This current goverment is showing its shoddy incompetent vision for the coming years. The persons managing our country are fixated on lengthy anti divorce diatribes instead of considering the real problems that are affecting workers and families.
Statements made by the government about airmalta seem to belittle its trust in the maltese workers and working class in general! What a cheeky attitude!!!
