The Malta International Airshow has been cancelled for the second year in a row after organisers and the government were unable to come to an agreement ahead of the popular September show.

“It’s sad, but that’s the situation,” Joe Ciliberti, one of the main organisers, told Lovin Malta after the cancellation was announced. “It’s a shame because we are all volunteers and enthusiasts who put up the show, and now we are the only country in the world without an air show – even North Korea has one.”

The show, which is organised by the Malta Aviation Society, has been organised in Malta for 25 years straight, but was cancelled last year for the first time ever due to a communication breakdown between the organisers and the Ministry of Tourism.

Organisers say problems arose after the 2016 International Air Show, which was moved to the seas next to Smart City after the government urged them to do so.

Prior to 2016, the organisers would collect money from the gate fees of the event, which would then be used to fund the next year’s show. However, once the air show was moved to the sea, that revenue was removed, meaning the show became financially dependent on the government.

However, the Air Show organisers were still open to putting the show on this year – if the government can put the organisers’ minds at rest

“We are open to doing this year’s show if there’s clarity and planning, and we can put our minds at rest – but we can’t continue like this,” he said. “In 2017, for example, we had kept the show on and we were ready to cancel up to a week before the event – I’m Maltese at the end of the day, and I don’t want to cancel and make Malta look silly in front of our international audience.”

“All we need is clarity from the government, and a Memorandum of Understanding for three years, and for the government to hold its word – the reason we are here is because they asked us to be,” he said.

However, he made it clear that this wasn’t due to any issue with the government or Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi.

“This is not political, and we have no problem with the government,” he said.

A spokesperson from the Ministry of Tourism issued a comment on the cancelled air show

“With regards to the mentioned airshow, there was no official contact between the Malta Aviation Society and the Ministry for Tourism,’ they said.

“The Ministry for Tourism is continuously working towards a more rich calendar of events. In fact, during 2019 quality events such as Cirque du Soleil and Nickelodeon Treasure hunt, targeting different audiences will be organised for the first time in Malta after several negotiations between organisers, the Ministry for Tourism and the Malta Tourism Authority. This complements the new events introduced in 2018, such as world-renowned Elrow, SummerDaze Malta in collaboration with BBC Radio 1 and Creamfields, amongst others. The Ministry for Tourism and Malta Tourism Authority has also supported the positive development of other events such as Glitch and the Malta Fireworks Festival,” they continued.

Nationalist MEP Francis Zammit Dimech, a former Tourism Minister, tweeted his disappointment as international and local fans lamented the cancellation

Cover photo: Neil Psaila

Were you looking forward to the air show?

READ NEXT: Malta International Airshow Cancelled After Organisers Say They Were Ignored By Tourism Ministry

Johnathan Cilia

Johnathan is an award-winning Maltese journalist interested in social justice, politics, minority issues, music and food. Follow him at @supreofficialmt on Instagram, and send him news, food and music stories at [email protected]