Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/699546
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 3 JULY 2016 26 Letters A confidential report commissioned by Air Malta on the impact of low-cost carri- ers (LCCs) on Malta has painted a devas- tatingly negative scenario in which LCCs would dominate the Maltese market and bring with it high risk strains on the Mal- tese infrastructure. The report has been received very nega- tively by the Malta Hotels and Restaurant Association task force on low-cost air- lines, accusing the report of being totally biased on a sensitive issue. MHRA's misgivings at the report are hardly unsurprising. From the outset, Air Malta claims that a 50 per cent increase in visitors in one year is a "high risk" strat- egy for a self-contained and small desti- nation like Malta, with the advent of the "independently minded" low-cost travel- ler bringing new strains upon the Maltese infrastructure. The report, carried out by Pricewa- terhouseCoopers, paints a picture of a market dominated by LCCs, of hotel ac- commodation diverted away from tour operator business in favour of LCC traffic, tour operators pulling out of the market, and of one or two LCCs wielding a com- mercial influence "far higher than that ever enjoyed even by the largest tour op- erator… By all accounts such a scenario would not be a far-fetched one. Its im- pacts, as far as displacement on Air Malta is concerned, would be rather more severe than that portrayed in this report." According to the report, Air Malta stands to lose Lm23.6 million if Ryanair and easyJet achieve a traffic of 1,540,000 passengers. Among these high risk strains would be the need for hotels to organise more coach transfers for the arrival of 2 million pas- sengers, and for government to increase public transport routes, and get tourist venues such as the Malta Experience, pre- historic temples and other museums to absorb higher volumes of travellers. It also claimed that the tight timeframe will make it hard for hotels to implement new and larger systems to deal with in- dividual bookings, such as improving at- tractiveness of their websites, and acquire the right skills to maximise occupancy rates when catering for last minute busi- ness. Its main concern, the national air- line says, is the fact that Malta's tourism routes remain underserved in the so- called shoulder months, the winter sea- son. Air Malta places "serious doubts" as to whether LCCs can bring more tourists to Malta outside the summer months, saying both Ryanair's and easyJet's flights to Mediterranean hotspots like Palma, Minorca, Ibiza and Malaga, decrease dur- ing the winter shoulder months. It also claims that given limited hotel bed availability in summer, LCCs would displace travellers from other carriers. "Any incentives offered to LCCs need to take account of this risk," the report states. The report says that claims by Ryanair that a six-aircraft fleet based in Malta would generate 2 million passengers – one million on each leg of a journey – will possibly only be seasonal. It predicts that aircraft will end up being diverted to other city routes in winter, and additional air- craft brought in during summer. Revealed – Air Malta secret report against low-cost Send your letters to: The Editor, MaltaToday, MediaToday Ltd. Vjal ir-Rihan, San Gwann SGN 9016 | Fax: (356) 21 385075 E-mail: newsroom@mediatoday.com.mt. Letters to the Editor should be concise. No pen names are accepted. On Chiellini's educational merits… 2 July, 2006 In your online article 'Euro 2016 from Row Z | I dream of a dif- ferent football" (23 June, 2016) Wayne Flask commented on the Italian defence as follows: "defen- sive outfit of four men who share 3 'O' levels between them". For clarity's sake, Giorgio Chiel- lini has a Diploma in Science from the Liceo Scientifico Statale "Federigo Enriques" of Rome (92/100) and a Degree in Econ- omy and Commerce from the University of Torino (109/110). Pierre Bonello Via email Appreciation – Eric Serracino I came to know my former col- league Eric Serracino during the early 1980s in my capacity as secretary of the Departmental and Parastatal Section of UHM when he used to attend the section's ex- ecutive meetings of the telecom- munications division of Telemalta Corporation. Eric was an honest and sincere person with whom you knew where one stood. A militant who was much admired inside the union for his integrity, who also respected two giants of Maltese trade unionism, Salvinu Spiteri and Maurice Agius, president and general secretary respectively, founding fathers of the UHM. The Union Haddiema Maghqu- din – Voice of the workers as we know it today, was founded as the Malta Government Clerical Union on 29 September 1966. After only seven years the union widened its membership so that all categories of workers in the public service and even those in the parastatal corporations could join, later leading to its name change on 1 June 1979 as the Malta Government Employees Union. The union grew at a time when the most regressive regulations curtailed the conditions of work of the workers when these were introduced by the government of the time. On 13 June, 1978 the union took the bold step and once again changed its name to become the Union Haddiema Maghqudin, a general union where all categories of workers including those in the private sector were able to join. From that time onwards Eric and I, together with the executive committee of the Departmental and Parastatal Section, worked in earnest to strengthen the union. He was also very active during the annual general meetings of the section and also during the general conference of the UHM, held biennially. I know that Eric suffered various injustices because of his ideals when on more than one occa- sion he would be charged with unfounded and malicious accusa- tions. But with the help of the President and the Secretary Gen- eral of the UHM he was always acquitted of all charges. In my name and on behalf of the UHM I send my sincere con- dolences to his dear wife Maria Theresa, his daughters Alexandra and Valerie and their families. God give him eternal rest. Joseph Borg Former secretary, UHM parastatal section Europe – learning to live together I write shortly after the out- come of Brexit. Some years ago I visited one of the numerous WWII cemeteries in Belgium. This particular cemetery was spread over a large valley, liter- ally with thousands of uniform tombstones marking the graves of young soldiers from different European countries who fought each other. If there is one big plus behind the EU it is that former foes now live together in one large com- munity of nations rather than killing each other for a piece of land. Perhaps we need reminding that the horrors of past wars are not fiction but a stark reality which can be repeated again with more devastating results. Much has been said for and against the EU. For me with all its shortcom- ings – and there are quite a few – the EU overall is a necessity where the nationalistic aspira- tions of each Member State come second to the overall well-being of all the people who live in the EU. Paul Edgar Micallef Via email Giorgio Chiellini