National airline Air Malta only sold five seats yesterday compared to its usual average of around 1,200, as coronavirus takes its toll on the already struggling airline, Lovin Malta is informed.

Sources also said a number of full-timers have already had their job contracts not renewed and that the airline is mulling making a request for State aid due to the emergency situation.

The European Commission would have to permit the government to help Air Malta in a way that doesn’t breach competition laws.

Air Malta has not yet responded to questions by Lovin Malta but a spokesperson for the Economy Ministry said: “The general economic situation is currently being assessed by an inter-ministerial committee including Economy Minister Silvio Schembri. Amongst others, the committee is looking into supportive measures for businesses.”

“During the last Competitiveness Ministerial Council in Brussels Minister Schembri raised the need for the EU Commission to come up with a financial aid program to help businesses impacted by the Coronavirus Crisis, such proposal was welcomed and shall be discussed in the next Ministerial Council. Moreover, Minister Schembri appealed to the Commission for flexibility in state-aid regulations when faced with a global crisis of this kind,” the spokesperson added.

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Photo credit: Air Malta’s Facebook page, @kcv_99