MEP Alfred Sant has warned that Ryanair’s Malta subsidiary ‘Malta Air’ may become the dominant airline on the island and end up driving Air Malta out of the market due to predatory commercial practices. 

A European Parliament report on unfair commercial practices, which was published upon request by Sant, stated that despite mutual cooperation between the two airlines, “it cannot be excluded that the launch of Ryanair subsidiary airline Malta Air will create a break with the current ‘tied’ market share situation.”

The study was carried out before airlines were forced to cancel most of their passenger flights due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The study analysed the unfair commercial and predatory pricing in passenger air transport, which not only harms consumers but leads to distortion of competition within the EU single market. It used Malta as a specific case study examining recent developments in air passenger transport.

It noted that “Ryanair and Air Malta have been alternating in vying for the top spot in terms of seat share but from now on, Ryanair will certainly grow its already sizeable presence in Malta, including gaining access to non-EU markets in North Africa and, as a consequence, potentially becoming the dominant airline in Malta.”

Meanwhile, disputes between Air Malta and its pilots continues after the pilots’ union ALPA accused Air Malta CEO Clifford Chetcuti of ignoring a request for a meeting to discuss the airline’s decision to make 108 pilots redundant during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The airline announced plans to make 108 of its 134 pilots redundant after their union refused to accept reduced salaries of €1,200 a month amid the health crisis that brought the industry to a halt.

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