Air Malta restructuring process: ‘change happening in seamless transition’

Air Malta's massive restructuring projects are bringing "change in a seamless transition", Malta's national airline said today.

"There is a hive of activity currently underway at the airline. Our project management office is concurrently directing multiple projects in organisational development, corporate restructuring, finance, IT, commercial, ground and in-flight service, cargo and contracts management.

"We are spearheading this challenging business turnaround with a wide-ranging restructuring program that is making a genuine difference in our national airline," Air Malta CEO Peter Davies said.

Davies said that two of the areas critical for the airline's survival are organisational development, a systematic process of implementing effective organisational change and the rightsizing of the airline.

Over 500 employees have applied for the voluntarily early retirement schemes and employees are being released through a staggered and coordinated plan, depending on the individuals' role and section.

"This process, which started last December is ongoing, and will continue until the end of this year. The absolute majority of these employees (444) will be released by end of next June. To date 240 employees have already been released," Davies confirmed.

This outbound plan is moving in parallel with other organisational development projects including the internal selection process to fill vacancies in the new structure and external recruitment.

Over 1,000 applications were received from employees for the 161 new positions in the new organisational structure, which has now been finalised.

"Certain skill sets were found not to be present within the airline and at least 21 positions will be offered to external candidates through the Employment and Training Corporation and adverts in the media," Air Malta said.

"This is a massive re-organisational project with many staff leaving, other taking up new roles, whilst new recruits joining the airline. Shifts and rosters are also being changed.

"These are exciting times for Air Malta as it has never been through such enormous change. The re-organisational projects are moving ahead through a seamless transition without disruption to the airline's operations", Davies added.

The airline insisted that although staff reduction "is by no means the only restructuring process, it is one of the most fundamental".

The airline is also working on its cultural transformation, development of human resources foundations, a performance management system and the implementation of the restructuring and collective agreements.