‘Partisan And Arrogant’ Labour Party Slams PN After Claims It Denied Air Malta Debate
The Labour Party has clapped back after the PN claimed the reigning party refused to hold a parliamentary debate on the fate of Malta’s national airlines.
However, Prime Minister Robert Abela had some strong words for the Opposition, calling them “partisan and arrogant”.
“We informed you of the ministerial statement well ahead. And we will take an extra day to debate if need be.”
This comes after the Prime Minister joined Finance Minister Clyde Caruana to unveil the future of Air Malta next year.
Afterwards, the PN accused the party of exercising “policies of deception” by refusing to discuss the future of the airline with them.
Airline update
Revealed today, the new airline will operate 17 routes instead of 37 and use eight planes instead of 10, but this time round, it’s all about the company actually registering a profit.
Three of the airline’s Airbus 320NEOs aircrafts will be brand new, bought directly from Airbus and owned by the new company.
Everything from aircraft maintenance to direct flying costs will be reduced, with a substantial change in the airline’s business model aimed at registering that long-sought-after profit margin.
Designing “the most commercially efficient network”, the new airline has also increased frequencies to existing routes like Rome, Munich, Paris (CDG), Zurich and Vienna… but other routes are now not on the roster.
Palermo, Naples, Nice, Geneva, Lisbon and Tel Aviv are the six routes which have been cancelled.
The remaining routes are now Amsterdam, Berlin, Brussels, Catania, Dusseldorf, London Gatwick, London Heathrow, Lyon, Madrid, Milan, Munich, Paris CDG, Paris Orly, Prague, Rome, Vienna and Zurich.
As of November 2023, Air Malta customers can apply for refund of tickets post 30th March 2024, with a recruitment process of the new airline kicking off in December.
On 1st December 2023, the new airline will start receiving bookings.
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