Malta’s pilot union (ALPA)’s request to block Air Malta’s decision to make 69 pilots redundant was dismissed by the courts.

In a ruling passed on Friday, Mr Justice Toni Abel said they cannot uphold ALPA’s request because the redundancy action was already in force.

However, the Court did uphold ALPA’s request to prevent any demotions for pilots who will maintain their jobs at Air Malta and ordered an inhibition warrant again the national airline.

This decision comes following unfruitful negotiations between Air Malta and ALPA on new working conditions amid the COVID-19 pandemic that caused the grounding of all commercial flights and huge financial losses.

Economic minister Silvio Schembri said that the Court’s decision to support the airline’s redundancies proved they had a right to in light of the union’s lack of cooperation.

“The pilots had not accepted that, like all the other employees, they had to do their part in these circumstances,” the minister wrote.

What do you make of the Court’s decision?