Paola Councillor Urges Malta To Embrace Air Transport As Traffic Solution
Paola minority leader Roderick Caruana has urged Malta to think outside the box and embrace air transport as a solution to traffic.
Caruana said that while the government has long been talking about a metro or light rail system as a long-term solution, such a project is estimated to cost billions and would take up to 20 years to complete.
“The world would have completely changed by then, so would such a system still make sense by the time it’s finally complete?”
He noted that airports in Paris, Malaga and Dubai are already testing and preparing for potential air taxi services to link airports to city centres.
“By 2045, these are expected to become a normal feature of public transport in many developed countries,” he said.
“If we want to think critically, there could be a window of opportunity for Malta to become a testing centre for these new technologies.”
“Rather than waiting 20 years for a metro, why don’t we immediately position ourselves in this innovative market? If Malta offers our islands as a real-life testing lab, we can attract investment, create high-value jobs and place Malta on the map as a Mediterranean centre for urban air mobility.”
Caruana went on to call for an air transport link connecting the existing Gozo helipad with new ones in key locations across Malta – including Mater Dei/University, St Paul’s Bay, and Smart City.
“This would drastically reduce traveling time, promote business between the two islands, and create a new niche for light aircraft and pirate planes,” he argued.
“The same runway in Gozo can also be used for parachuting, which will attract tourism and investment to Gozo without harming its character.”
“At the end of the day, the traffic problem isn’t just about roads or projects. It is a mentality problem,” Caruana said.
“If we keep on thinking the same way, we will keep on getting the same results – more congestion, more frustration, and more wasted time,” he said.
“However, if we find the courage to think differently, as Edward De Bono taught us to, we can realise that the future of transport isn’t underground or underwater but in the skies.”
Cover photo: Left: Roderick Caruana, Right: Joby Aviation
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