REVEALED | Government and Air Malta agree on need for 'capping' MIA charges

A commitment by government and Air Malta to cap all charges paid to Malta International Airport (MIA) was the main issue that averted a strike by pilots next Saturday.

14 July 2011, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

3 min read

Industrial action at the national airline was averted after a lengthy meeting yesterday evening at Castille which was presided by Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and airline pilots association president Dominic Azzopardi.

The talks included finance minister Tonio Fenech, Air Malta chairman Louis Farrugia and chief executive Peter Davies.

MaltaToday is informed that the discussions led to an agreement on the necessity for

third-party contracts be revised, namely with MIA.

Consensus was reached that all charges and fees paid to MIA must be capped, and a number of ‘anomalies’ be corrected.

According to senior government sources close to the talks yesterday, it was explained that even the Prime Minister was unaware of the high charges Air Malta paid to MIA, nor the anomalies in cargo tariffs.

One of the immediate anomalies to be corrected and which was mounting Air Malta losses were the charges for transporting cargo.

It was agreed that Air Malta will now deal directly with its clients rather than be left with just €1 per kilogramme against the higher tariffs taken by the agents.

Another anomaly that was to be addressed with immediate effect was to have a distinction in charges for passengers boarding aircraft using a staircase.

and transport of passengers from the terminal to the aircraft by coach.

At no point were pilots’ salaries discussed during the talks.

In a joint statement it was announced that "all strike actions by the pilots have been withdrawn" in the wake of the positive talks held between all parties.

"On the issues pertaining to the compliment of pilots within the restructuring process, while ALPA recognises the need to reduce the number of pilots, management will engage in active discussions with ALPA to maximise utilisation of the crew compliment," the statement said.

Air Malta has also agreed to withdraw all legal action against the union.

Commenting to MaltaToday, Pilots' Association president Dominic Azzopardi expressed satisfaction at the way things have "positively developed" during the talks, and said that "goodwill has prevailed from all sides."

While expressing hope that this goodwill continues, Azzopardi has reiterated the pilots' committment towards the national airline, and will strive to make Air Malta a viable company.

Meanwhile, a demonstration in Valletta will still go ahead on Friday, where Air Malta employees, backed by the General Workers' Union, For.um and other unions, will march to Castille.

The enginieers' union has still not committed itself to participating in Friday's march.

Parliamentary secretary for tourism Mario de Marco expressed 'relief' at the news that Air Malta pilots have called off their planned action next Saturday.

Speaking to MaltaToday, Mario de Marco said that he was relieved that "responsible talks" have led the pilots to withdraw their notice of industrial action which was planned for next Saturday.

"The most important thing is that dialogue prevails and matters are discussed around a table in a sincere and frank manner," de Marco said, adding that he looks forward to seing the pilots "do what they are best at doing, flying planes and bringing more tourists to Malta."

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

•

The statement explained that during the meeting, all sides agreed to work closely in securing a better deal for Air Malta with MIA, improving the performance of Air Malta, seeking new opportunities on cargo, and facing all challenges that will turn around the profitability of the company. One question : Why did Gonzi and his mate Fenech wait until now – why was all this not done years ago?? They knew what was going on, so why wait? No wonder people are convinced that Gonzi has been planning all along to destroy Air Malta.

Jon Sciberras •

Make the airline cheaper, I too try my best to fly Airmalta, but to pay 3 sometimes even 4 times the prices others charge is ridiculous. The charges are the states fault, it sold out, and now it regrets it by putting pressure on a Private Enterprise !. Isn't that crazy.

•

Its either that the airline including new management and boards and ministers are doing their damnest to kill Air Malta or they must have all escaped from the loony bin. Why did I just pay Euros 236.52 to go and come to Spain at very civil hours on two separete Low Cost Airlines and the Air Malta site as I write quotes Euros 753.17 for a worse service as it has to go via a German airport? I try to bend backwards to fly with Air Malta but My conscience would kill me knowing I paid nearly 220% more. Can anyone enlighten me???

•

Of course gonzi was unaware of MIA charges, like his finance minister he prefers using private jets to Airmalta with us the poor **** footing the bills with our taxes.

•

So ALPA were right after all. Where are the apologists?Ttime to apologise to ALPA for your stupid excuses.

•

Unaware of the charges? Is Gonzi so switched off? The charges have been the subject of MANY press articles over MONTHS. Perhaps the poor lad doesn't have the time to get away from counting the notes in his totally unjustified pay rise.

•

A manager in private industry who does not know what his subordinates are doing gets the order f the boot. A Prime Minister who not only does not know what his subordinates are doing but has absolutely NO idea and indeed even defies what the people had decided deserves the same treatment. But the arrogant GONEZI says he will continue to govern in spite of all the shortcomings and all the problems that he and his government has caused to all Malta. Don't worry GONZ, we shall give you the order of the boot at the next general election. We may even make you the Chief of the Order of the Boot.

Joseph MELI •

Now we have another charge to be added to the litany already perpetrated by the great Gonzi-that of the UNAWARE.What are these 'CAPPING' levels precisely as the revealing of this is immensely important.

•

Arrigo take charge of the airline ? ARE YOU CRAZY ???????????????????????????????????

•

"The most important thing is that dialogue prevails and matters are discussed around a table in a sincere and frank manner," de Marco said, ONE MIGHT ASK... Why didn't this administration make it their business to listen and discuss these irregularities earlier? MIA is a private company but it still operates in this country where the government is boss and the national airline belongs to the state, therefore the government should have made it a priority to understand the charges that MIA imposed to maul the national airline. Providing of course that there were no bribes or collusion from within. This administration better get it through their heads that MIA & AIR MALTA are a very important part of the puzzle for the Maltese economy and this government had better take a more serious role in their operations. How on earth could a hold up at an airport take place without airport security and video cameras be alerated to this fact ? The Maltese people should wake up to the fact that the MIA privatisation is nlacking the professional management and security alertness that is required because the government has chosen to look the other way even when things are having a very negative effect on Malta's national airline. Is this reckless & careless administration or pre-medidated plans to throw AIR MALTA into a nose dive?

•

GYK, I fully agree with you and the quicker we replace the present staff with Arrigo and Demarco the better, although one must bare in mind that the Lady Madonna said that he didnt want any cuc Malti to run the business. Little does he realise that he is also a cuc Malti since he is running the finance business of Malta.

Paul Sammut •

" the Prime Minister was unaware of the high charges Air Malta paid to MIA, nor the anomalies in cargo tariffs ". Could this possibly be real when all stake holders keep repeating that if the airline goes bankrupt it will have a disastrous effect on more than one fifth of the country's economy? The Prime Minsiter will surely now take to task all those on whose watch these obscenities were taking place at the taxpayers, account. Perhaps it is time that Arrigo or De Marco took charge of our airline.