Updated | Air Malta cabin crew halt ‘baguette’ dispute

Air Malta cabin crew have halted industrial action following a meeting last night to resolve the issues that triggered the strike.

MaltaToday is informed that an agreement has been reached and they will be taking a 25% commission on sales of food on the plane.

The Union of Cabin Crew were protesting Air Malta’s intention of giving crew a baguette as part of its downscaling of economy class meals. The union says this is a breach of collective agreements to give crew suitable meals onboard aircraft.

Tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis announced the news during a press conference to mark the launch of a public consultation on a draft national tourism policy.

Zammit Lewis said that all efforts should be made to keep the national airline commercially viable and relevant to the modern airline sector.

“Air Malta has always sought to improve its product,” he said. “Some routes may not have made good business sense but were beneficial to the island’s tourism.”

Zammit Lewis said that the draft policy, which is still subject to change, could have been approached in one of two ways – from the ‘numbers’ point of view or taking into account the quality of the product.

“Numbers are important but the tourism sector is evolving rapidly – what may hold true for one year may not be as relevant the next,” Zammit Lewis said.

“We need to start tapping into new markets by offering attractive products adapted to the.”

Zammit Lewis also commented on the touristic appeal of the south of the island. “Currently, it is only a day trip destination,” he said, “But it has much more to offer. We must boost tourism to the area.”

He also called for an improvement to the workforce. He suggested that educational institutions should do more to promote the tourism sector as a viable option for a career, as opposed to the ‘summer job’ reputation it currently has. This, he said, would also be aided by focusing on spreading incoming tourist visits throughout the year, not just during the summer months.

The film industry, the other sector in Zammit Lewis’ portfolio, could also help attract visitors to the islands by granting them more exposure.