“As a government, we have a track record in implementing projects, and as pledged in the electoral manifesto, we are working on this project to enhance Gozo’s connectivity. We believe that this project will help foster a new and sustainable economic niche, creating quality jobs and attracting more high-quality tourism to our shores,” Gozo Minister Clint Camilleri said.

“All this will be done in full respect of the surrounding environment, whereby no agricultural land will be included in this project, while mitigation measures will be taken to reduce the impact on the environment and the surroundings,” he continued.

The new project is expected to create 48 full-time jobs directly and indirectly – including 20 people directly employed at the airfield itself. 

The runway is set to support smaller fixed-wing aircraft, with a maximum capacity of around 9 passengers.

An analysis that ended in February found that the project will need an initial investment of €2.5 million, with €1.6 million of that used to upgrade the current setup, and the rest to acquire a fleet of aircraft.

Operational costs were believed to run to around €1.2 million a year – but this was prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which is likely to influence fuel costs moving forward.

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