Airstrip of 'limited benefit' to Gozitans, says FAA

Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar has advised caution and requested feasibility studies be carried out in reaction to the reported plan to build an airstrip at Xewkija.

In a statement released yesterday, the NGO said that “the plans to create a new airstrip at Xewkija need to be studied in the light of long-term benefits to Gozo. Given that both the helicopter and seaplane services to Gozo have failed, FAA maintains that before sacrificing more green area only to have the airstrip shut down after a few years, the project should be accompanied by an independent feasibility study prior to being processed by MEPA.”

The NGO had acknowledging Gozitan’s need for improved accessibility and had proposed free preferential boarding for “bona-fide” Gozo residents, but it was unconvinced that an airstrip is the answer to these problems.

“Failure to carry out such [feasibility] studies,” it says, “would reinforce public perception that the overriding benefit of this airstrip project would be to the contractor who wins the tender to build it.”

FAA pointed out that this service will be “of limited benefit to Gozo’s residents”, as most of them need to cross to Malta with their vehicles, adding that “realistically, the cost of such a service would be out of reach of students or regular commuters.”

The NGO asked whether schools offering flying lessons will add to the island’s economy and whether the noise pollution has been quantified – a pertinent point, given that a five-star hotel in the close vicinity markets itself on the strength of its ‘tranquil surroundings’.

The statement requests clarification as to the scale of loss to Gozo, in terms of destruction of agricultural land and landscape damage, that the project will entail.

Furthermore, the FAA points out that the proposed airstrip is only 185m away from the Grade 1 scheduled monument known as the “Torri ta’ Santa Cecilia” and less than 100m away from the medieval chapel of St. Cecilia, arguing that the construction would “have an irreversibile impact on the unspoilt vista of this rich heritage area, Neolithic buffer zone and bird sanctuary.”

The statement also casts doubts on the viability of the light aircraft, noting that the “scenic ferry crossing only tales 30 minutes” and that most tourists would be unlikely to pay more for a shorter crossing by air.

Decrying the increasing vehicle traffic and development activity in Gozo, it argues that the island’s image as an unspoilt green haven is already being tarnished enough without the irreversible impact that would ensue following this major development in green areas. “Anything that could potentially affect Gozo;s fragile environment and economy needs to be studied very carefully to avoid long-term damage.”