Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1137604
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 30 JUNE 2019 NEWS FREE WITH maltatoday NEXT WEEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 "Air Malta has tried every- thing possible to reach agree- ment with the airline pilots," the spokesperson said. "Fol- lowing concessions given dur- ing the drawing up of their collective agreement – and the willingness to go beyond that to support working conditions and ensure flexibility in opera- tions – the pilots have now re- quested, through ALPA, that the government guarantees their early retirement scheme in the case Air Malta should cease to exist." This was something the gov- ernment could not do due to state aid rules. "The only resolution to such an issue has to come from within Air Malta itself. In this regard, the government can- not intervene... it's matter that needs to be decided upon with the company." The spokesperson, however, emphasised that should the pilots threaten Air Malta's op- erations, the responsibility to implement the airline's growth plans would be shifted to Mal- ta MedAir. "If the the pilots threaten the operation of Air Malta at this crucial moment of the year and unless pilots change their behaviour, the operation of growth of the airline will not be undertaken through the core airline but through Malta MedAir – a company wholly owned by the Maltese govern- ment which was set up in Janu- ary 2018." Such a decision would be taken with a view towards mit- igating the risk to Air Malta caused by the pilots' actions, the spokesperson underscored. "Air Malta will grow and the government is willing to make the case with the European Commission that it could in- vest more in it. The purchas- ing of new aircraft will entail an investment of hundreds of millions." ALPA only recently reached an agreement with Air Malta to improve its pay packages, with captians earning up to €150,000 a year, and first offic- ers paid €100,000 a year. The collective agreement signed in January 2018 also provided guaranteed earnings for pilots, based on their best salary from the previous four years, plus additional mark- up. Pilots fly 75 hours of flying duty per month, as allowed by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency. Air Malta and ALPA's choppy relationship This latest development comes after other disagree- ments last year between the national carrier and the pilots' association. When in April 2018 Air Malta saw the arrival of a new leased aircraft (9H-AES) ALPA decided to advise its pi- lots not to fly the new planes as they would not have the option to erase conversations recorded by the cockpit voice recorder. This situation persisted until Air Malta installed equipment that allowed pilots to erase their conversations post flight. In May 2018, ALPA recom- mended to its members to re- fuse any operational changes to their roster needed by the company due to unforeseen operational schedule changes. These restrictive practices cost the company significant financial losses. ALPA was insisting on Air Malta's man- agement to hire more pilots, but at the same time they were putting pressure on the air- line to release pilots on unpaid leave or reduced hours. Air Malta's management re- cruited 20 more pilots during the same financial year to al- low for improved rosters over and above the legal require- ments. However, interpretation of the new collective agreement led to more disputes, with AL- PA increasing its pressure on its members not to cooperate with Air Malta. In October 2018, ALPA is- sued a notice of industrial ac- tion calling for all trainers not to fly with Qatar Airways ca- dets that were currently being trained by Air Malta. An injunction was filed by Air Malta in court, with the presiding judge requesting both parties to resolve their is- sues through arbitration The ruling of the arbitration undertaken by a reputed legal representative was, however, not accepted by ALPA, which sought to resolve the issue by demanding additional pay- ments to those suggested by the arbitration's decision. "If the the pilots threaten the operation of Air Malta, the operation will be run through Malta MedAir Pilots want guarantee of €700,000 early retirement 'if Air Malta fails' Tourism minister Konrad Mizzi at the launch of Malta Air, a Ryanair subsidiary that will be based in Malta. The government owns a share in the company through its Malta MedAir, the national company that owns the international airport slots used by Air Malta