Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1175418
10.10.19 11 INTERVIEW helicopters, seaplanes and drones of these persons are young and single and smaller and cheaper studio type apartments would be much more suitable. e same could be said for dormitories required for stu- dents who come here for short periods of training. We do not seem to cater for this type of accommodation which is very common in other countries where universities of training facilities attract short to medi- um term students. The aviation industry appears to be doing well. But is Malta using all of its potential in this area? I believe that we need to en- courage more locals into a wid- er range of aviation jobs. Locals need to know about ALL the opportunities and not just focus on piloting and engineering. e government has recently announced favorable loans for people who want to continue studies. is could be a major game changer in Malta if adopted well. Companies can participate by offering job security and on the job training in line with this scheme to produce a future gen- eration of aviation personnel. We could become an "exporter" of talent rather than a place that needs to bring in people from abroad. If we would like to be a lead- er in this sector we need to be more adventurous and inno- vative, I would say. We should look, for instance, at how we can increase the usage of hel- icopters for transportation. Logistics-wise, you can land a helicopter on a roof and it is ab- solutely ridiculous that our ma- jor hospitals both in Malta and in Gozo do not have an elevated helipad. Why are we not catering for certain strategic helipads which take up only small portions of land? Smart city, anyone? Why isn't there a floating helipad in the Grand Harbor to compli- ment the super yachts berthed there and to offer cruise liner passengers a sightseeing oppor- tunity on their short visit to the island? e same can be said for sea- planes. Malta's climate is ideal for their use – we have a very long summer, and winter also offers many days with favoura- ble weather. A seaplane used to be use in Malta, but the logistics at the time prevented its contin- ued use. New seaplanes are now available and these could be an added tool for tourism both as a means of transportation and also sightseeing. When it comes to drones, we've undertaken research and development with companies who've shown interest in com- ing to Malta to use the vast air- space we have over the sea to try out new drone systems. We've had drones flying out beyond the line of sight – 10km out, and returning – for instance. e fact we're somewhat rel- atively more liberal in this re- spect, because of the sea around us, is showing Malta can be a centre for drone testing. In this regard, we're looking at two companies who've shown inter- est in setting up a drone school to train pilots in flying drones. I believe the market requires a higher degree of training. ere's also a market for pro- fessional drones which can do work such as geological surveys. e potential for widespread usage of drones is there. For instance, drones could be used to carry out certain small deliv- eries, such as of blood samples to hospitals, or of mail, negat- ing the need for having vehicles carrying out such deliveries on our roads. e technology is so accurate that we need to start using it, cautiously, of course, and in the correct way. I defi- nitely believe there is scope for further use of drones if we can keep the reckless and lawless few away from this niche. What about the air safety concerns when it comes to Aviation including Drones – are there regulations in this respect? EASA has finally produced a regulatory framework which will come into effect next year. Although we have had our own local procedures in force for the last years, a long awaited Euro- pean-wide legal framework is well received and will provide much needed clarity. ere will be need for more education and enforcement in the coming months. e operation of drones re- quires a lot of self-discipline, because our officials cannot be everywhere monitoring all drones. Take the Gatwick drone incident last December – police were everywhere, doing their best to locate the drone which was sighted close to a runway, but they couldn't find it. e disruption was enormous, cost- ing millions. A drone can be in one place for five minutes, and by the time it is reported, it would have left the scene. ere are other matters which need addressing to ensure safe- ty in our airspace. Concert or- ganizers need to understand the requirements for using lasers for instance. Unfortunately we are not programmed to think that way in Malta. People take so many things for granted and no one asks whether a permit is needed or whether an activity could have an adverse effect on others. We have published a docu- ment in this regard and look forward to engage with organ- izers to regulate rather than to stop these activities. e release of balloons needs to also be curtailed, if not banned, not only due aviation related problems but also en- vironmental issues. Anyone planning any activity or placing any structure in the air above us need to consult the directo- rate to verify whether this will hinder or obstruct aviation and whether a permit is required. is includes the sensitive area of fireworks. Our aim is to regulate and make things safe for passen- gers and crew alike. With the amount of aircraft landing and taking off in Malta, it is becom- ing a very big struggle with the amount of fireworks being let off. Here, I feel it's important that all sides engage in dialogue, and all concerned have to make a few compromises. Yes, it is an old tradition, but there must be control. We must see how we can let off fireworks with the least disruption pos- sible to the aviation industry. e last item I would like to mention is the issue of unruly passengers. is scourge needs to be fought and I am pleased to note that local police author- ities have been instrumental in leading the way on several oc- casions. ere needs to be zero tolerance on unruly behavior on board and with quick and deci- sive action Malta can continue to be an example in this area. With the increase in air traffic and general activity, how is Malta's airport coping with it all? Ironically, I wrote an opinion piece way back when the cur- rent terminal was open and had stated that the planning was not forward looking or ambitious enough. I think I have been proven right in this as MIA has become too small for our needs. We're running out of the space we need to continue grow- ing. I would like to see much more land close to the airport changed into aviation facilities from their current use. ere are batching plants, farms, and so on around the airport, which could be easily relocated to make way for aviation activities. I am to state that there is a constant dialogue with the cur- rent MIA management and I am very pleased with their ap- proach and also their future plans. We have worked togeth- er on various occasions and not too long ago they accepted to provide a much-needed ring road around runway 23 thresh- old thus improving efficiency and reducing runway incur- sions. Co-ordination meetings are regular and very fruitful. I believe I can say there is mutu- al recognition and respect to- wards the different roles. At the end of the day, will one airport suffice, however? Difficult question to answer. It is a fact that Malta's only air- port is too small for the activity being generated. In addition to the ever-increasing number of commercial flights coming to Malta we need to cater for the MRO facilities that need areas for parking and engine runs. Unfortunately, the general avi- ation community usually bear the full brunt of these and oth- er runway restrictions. Priority is always given to commercial traffic - and this is rightly so - however, what about pilots who are paying for flight tuition, and who are left unable to fly be- cause no runway is available? I believe we need to find an al- ternative site for general avia- tion thus making MIA function more efficiently whilst allowing general aviation to thrive and offer more training slots. Space is scare on such a small island, but we don't need anything bombastic. A grass runway might suffice, especially with Malta gener- ally favorable weather. What about land reclamation? Could we build a small aviation island with a short runway? Obviously I speak more out of passion and I do recognise that proper feasibility studies could shoot down such ideas, but I think it is important to con- stantly look for alternatives and be innovative.