Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1518324
2 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 31 MARCH 2024 NEWS KARL AZZOPARDI kazzopardi@mediatoday.com.mt JAMES DEBONO jdebono@mediatoday.com.mt MORE than five decades since its inception, Air Malta's fate will end the same way it started – a Lon- don flight departing from Heath- row. Flight KM103, with Captain Kevin Camilleri at the helm and Glen Fenech as First Officer, land- ed at Malta International Airport for the last time in the early hours of Sunday. Almost poetically, the first Air Malta flight on 1 April 1974 was an inbound flight from Heathrow. The last flight officially leaving Malta was KM614 to Rome. History of the national airline Air Malta was formally set up on 1 April 1973 when parliament approved a resolution to set up a national airline. The company started operations with two Boeing 720B aircraft leased from Pakistan Internation- al Airlines. The first scheduled services saw Air Malta fly to the UK, Germany, France, Italy and Libya. Air Malta was Dom Mintoff's brainchild in a Malta that was in- dustrialising and finding its feet economically ahead of the with- drawal of British forces in 1979. A critical Opposition gave the fledg- ling airline short shrift at the time, branding its aircraft 'birds of lead' in the belief that it will not survive for long. But in 10 years the airline defied the Opposition's prognosis and went on to purchase three air- craft of its own from Boeing and become an important cog in the tourism industry. Despite its crucial role, the air- line became a glorified employ- ment agency over the years for whoever was in government, with people close to the major parties finding well-paid jobs within the airline. Politicians on either side of the House have repeatedly tried to scapegoat each other for Air Malta's collapse. From the ill-fated decision taken in the mid-1990s under a Nationalist administration to create a re- gional offshoot of Air Malta with its own aircraft to the Labour government's decision to ex- pand the network with unprof- itable routes after 2017, every administration has driven a nail in the coffin. The once successful airline whose name has been etched in the national psyche experienced a slow and painful decline over the past three decades. Attempts to rescue the airline proved ineffectual and when the European Commission last year refused to accept a fresh govern- ment bailout there was no runway left for Air Malta to perform an- other take-off. Government was forced to chart a new course that would see Air Malta cease operations once and for all and be replaced by a new national airline. How will KM Malta Airlines oper- ate? The new airline will eventually employ 375 people, Clyde Carua- na had said in October, giving all employees on Air Malta's books the chance to apply for a job. And in a bid to avoid the ex- cesses of the past, Caruana said the work contracts offered by the new national airline will reflect the market conditions for comparable airlines. The turnaround will see the new national airline operating on 17 routes, which are deemed to be profitable, with one new route to be added three years down the line. The first flights of the new airline will commence on 31 March 2024 in a fresh start that comes with the minister's commitment that politicians will not be allowed to interfere in its workings. So, farewell Air Malta – it was nice flying with you – and wel- come KM Malta Airlines. Full circle for Air Malta: Last flight from Heathrow same as first It started with a f light from London Heathrow in 1974. Now Air Malta's f lightpath comes full circle with a last f light, also from Heathrow A sheep farm is being proposed instead of an illegal villa and zoo in Ħaż-Żebbuġ which has been subject to a planning en- forcement since 2008. A previous application by developer Mark Gaffarena – previsouly at the heart of the Old Mint Street property scandal – to reg- ularise the illegal dwelling and animal en- closures inside a rural conservation area, had been refused by the Planning Authority in 2020 and was confirmed on appeal two years later. Gaffarena had on that occasion proposed the demolition of the 370sq.m illegal struc- ture he owns, in return for having the per- mit approved. The only permit ever approved on the to- tal 5,200 sq.m site was an outline permit for stables issued in 2008. Subsequently a full development permit for the proposed sta- bles was turned down. Since then the out- line permit has expired. An analysis of aerial photos taken in the past two decades confirm the site was en- tirely agricultural and disturbed some time between 2005 to 2007. Existing developments found on the site include the 370sq.m residence, a 50sq.m swimming pool, 500sq.m of paving, and various animal enclosures spread around the site. All of these were targeted by an en- forcement order in 2008. But the owners of the site have not given up and a new application, this time pre- sented by Josielle Gaffarena, is proposing a sheep farm instead. But the Environment and Resources Au- thority has already shot down the applica- tion which is still at its initial stages. ERA noted that the dwelling, pool and scattered structures and animal enclosures construct- ed without valid planning permission have already resulted in "adverse environmental impacts" including "urban sprawl" into the countryside. In its reaction to the applica- tion, the ERA concluded that "the change of use of the structures to a sheep farm would not resolve ERA's concerns" and therefore the proposal is "objectionable". The PA's advisory panel on agriculture is also objecting, noting the excessive size of areas indicated as stores and paving being proposed. The panel asked Gaffarena to provide evidence of "relevant technical ex- perience or relevant technical knowledge" related to sheep farming. It also asked for a clarification on where Gaffarena intends to relocate the animals presently living on the site. The animals shown in site photos presented to the PA include llamas and a zebra. A block plan of the site also includes enclosures for mon- keys, wild cats and parrots. Illegal zoo for Gaffarena's zebra and llamas, now earmarked for sheep