Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1432448
4 NEWS 25.11.2021 FOLLOWING Skymax drone's success- ful first trial flight between Comino and Ċirkewwa last June which carried a con- signment of medical supplies, the venture has now managed to attract a group of investors who are now in the process of committing capital and resources to the company. Skymax Ltd is a joint venture between QuAero Ltd and HandsOn Systems Ltd. Capt. Alan Muscat and Capt. Karl Falzon from QuAero Ltd said that the transport and logistics sectors are going through a very dynamic phase where last mile deliveries are becoming increasingly crucial. Within this context, a service like ours can be an important differentiator that determines an operator's competitive advantage. "e news of this investor interest makes the prospect of take-off of this new service more real and greatly supports our business proposition especially given several agreements that we are about to conclude with key business account cli- ents to offer a Malta - Gozo – Malta ser- vice," they added. e company already has access to a number of drone types, the use of which can be adapted according to the type of delivery. However, this new investment will also bring new skill sets which will now include telematics, tracking, people from different sections of the aviation in- dustry, transportation and IT and traffic management. "With our Skymax project, we aim to become major players within the grow- ing drone-use ecosystem that the Mal- tese government is nurturing," Geoffrey Farrugia from HandsOn Systems Ltd said. "is is also in line with our vision to build logistical highways in the sky to im- prove last-mile delivery effectiveness for businesses and to also act as an important stakeholder in the introduction of these means of transport in other critical areas such as the health sector." Falzon said that those showing interest in this service are feeling more encour- aged by the fact that the sector is heavily regulated ensuring that any flights un- dertaken will only be allowed once all the necessary safety and risk assessment ex- ercises have been completed and author- ised by the Civil Aviation Directorate at Transport Malta. e investors' immediate objective is to operate a Malta-Gozo-Malta route, with multiple daily cargo delivery flights depending on the market's demand. e company is already collaborating with a handful of drone suppliers to explore the operation of an array of services which would include hubbing, feeders and last mile deliveries. Various platforms exist and these vary in size, range, cargo pay- load and volume capabilities – each de- signed to operate in their own specific area of operation. Deliveries through the use of drones are already a reality and Malta, given its prox- imities, lends itself as an ideal location for the application of this service both as a test bed and for the actual service that we are now about to start offering. e company is also basing its success on the different skill sets ranging from tele- matics, its experienced pilots who hold thousands of hours in flight time who will essentially be overseeing the day-to-day operation, its transportation and traffic management capabilities which place the company in a position to make significant inroads in this new field, both at a local and international level. "With sustainability dominating the corporate agenda, using a delivery service with no emissions should definitely make this option even more viable," Muscat said. With increased interest which is en- couraging Skymax Ltd to look into offer- ing a B2C service, the company is now planning more test flights over the next few months. "ese flights will purposely take place in a variety of weather conditions so as to add more reassurance to our clients that an uninterrupted service can be offered unless inclement weather conditions on the day exceed the operational limits of the UAV – a phenomenon that only hap- pens a few days of the year," Falzon said. Skymax drone attracts new investment Stop taking away our workers: business chambers' warning to government MALTA'S main employers' bodies have sounded a serious warning on a govern- ment practice that is absorbing more private sector workers into State entities, ostensibly affecting lower-skilled ranks. e Malta Employers' Association, e Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enter- prise and Industry, the Malta Chamber of SMEs, the Malta Hotels and Restau- rants Association and the Gozo Business Chamber called on the government to put an immediate halt on the drain of human resources from the private sec- tor, to be employed in the public sector including state appointed bodies. e employers' organisations said private sector employees were resign- ing "haphazardly" to take up what they called "more secure jobs with less work pressure" inside government entities. "Some companies are having to reduce their operations as a result of a shortage of manpower. Many have to resort to replacing Maltese employees lost to the public sector with other nationalities. is is changing the distribution of the labour force, as government is employ- ing a greater percentage of the Maltese labour force, with companies compen- sating for labour shortfalls by engaging more foreign labour," the organisations said. ey also said they were convinced that in many cases, there was no real need for these persons in the public sector. "Public sector employment is financed by the output and taxes generated by entrepreneurs and their employees, and depleting the private sector of human resources will spell trouble even for tax revenue generation," the business cham- bers said. ey warned that an ageing workforce across the European Union will present a challenge in Malta in the coming years, as countries will compete for the young- er cohort. "is is all the more reason why gov- ernment should not make the situation worse, simply for political expediency. Human resources in Malta are scarce and limited, and therefore cannot be squandered in this manner. "To make matters worse, many compa- nies are also complaining about the diffi- culties they still encounter in employing third-country nationals, including cases of repatriation of workers who have been working here regularly for years. e economy can only progress by upskilling the local labour force and channelling it into productive use, both in the private and public sector." Prime Minister Robert Abela at an MCESD meeting in Castille. Employers and unions are members of the MCESD stakeholders council