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Air Malta pilots to ground flights unless MIA zeroes charges
Airline PIlots Association (ALPA) president Dominic Azzopardi promises that on July 15 Air Malta flights would be grounded and Air Malta would come to a standstill, if Malta International Airport plc (MIA) does not zero its charges.
The Airline Pilots Association (Alpa) will be convening members on 5 July to take a critical decision to protest plans to cut pilots’ workforce by grounding Air Malta flights on 16 July, unless the airline reconsiders the “decisions taken behind everyone’s back.”
Azzopardi also accused Malta International Airport of “sucking the Maltese tourism sector dry” in comments to MaltaToday, saying the airport received more than €150 million from Air Malta in charges and fees.
Azzopardi said Alpa wanted the government to give Air Malta the same subsidies it gave to low-cost giant Ryanair under the route-support scheme. He also made reference to Air Malta cargo tariffs and said that these had to be revised,
Malta International Airport denied the claims on its alleged responsibility for the current situation the national airline is in. “MIA is conscious of the importance of Air Malta for the tourism industry and the economy and we look forward to continue our constructive discussions with the airline's management,” a spokesperson for the airport said.
Alpa president Dominic Azzopardi said pilots would hold a protest in Valletta on 15 July at 5pm after the airline’s new chief executive Peter Davies informed employees last Friday that the pilot workforce will be cut by 30%.
Azzopardi said Alpa had cooperated fully with the airline’s steering committee in offering several solutions to turn the company around in least time possible. “The pilot’s union has identified areas that need to be addressed immediately in order to reorganize the state of affairs but the management and the shareholders are adamant in pursuing the course of action to reduce staff,” Azzopardi said.
The union is insisting that it is not in Air Malta’s interest to make pilots redundant after all the money invested in their training. “The union has offered solutions by leasing excess pilots to other airlines who need them in fact Alpa has participated fully this summer in redeployment of crew with other airlines,” Azzopardi said.
“We’re amazed how questions regarding cargo anomalies, MIA expenses, management issues and the fact that the government keeps pumping money into low cost airlines remain unanswered. Does the government still subsidize low-cost carriers despite the EU’s new route grant agreements having expire?
“Is it correct that the government has given exclusivity to MIA considering no special rates are offered to its main operator? Is it correct that whilst Air Malta employs new management at substantial cost most of the old management who ran the failed company restructuring which took place in 2004 are still there?” Azzopardi charged.
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My opinion is that ALPA must join the other Unions in such a thing. We are talking about Airmalta not only ALPA. Let us just say the rest of the Unions disagree with ALPA and Airmalta closes down leaving all employees jobless, then ALPA would seem to blame that the workers are jobless. So gather all Unions, one huge protest, showing the power of all Airmalta. Good luck to all Airmalta employees.
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Let's be honest and admit that the situation in which Airmalta finds itself today is not only the result of bad administrative decisions but also due to the fact that over time our national airline has been raped by anyone who could put a finger in the pie, be it politicians, certain busiiness operators, unions, employees and their relatives etc etc.
I remember the so-called "good times" when Airmalta had no competition and used to charge astronomic prices for an air ticket when no one had dreamed of the very high price of oil we have today. Some used to boast of AirMalta's profits, provoking unions to claim increases in employees salaries and other privileges which were awarded year in year out.
However I'm sure many Maltese love Airmalta and would like to see it back on its feet. So let's be objective and responsible. If one would really like to save Airmalta, then please stop using old bullying tactics and talk of strikes especially in summer.
If you instill in the mind of customers this uncertainty, then Air Malta's credibility is lost and no one would risk booking with Airmalta. This will be the very end.
And finally, don't make the thousands of Maltese travellers suffer because after all, it is the Maltese taxpayer who would also be contributing to Airmalta's recovery.
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@ Alpa forsi wassal iz-zmien li anke intom turu solidarjeta ma shabkom tal-Airmalta li mhux cabin crew ghax wara l-ministri nahseb ftit ghandhom it-taxi sabiex immorru x-xoghol, kien hemm drabi li ghal pika dahhaltu lil AirMalta fi spejjes kbar w anke lil passigieri xi kultant anke xi arblu lqattu w min halllas.?
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@martin borg
When all is said, chewed out and spat out again it all boils down to Air Malta's competitivity on the Market or the lack of it. At least, gone are the days when each ticket used to cost an arm and a leg but while other airlines are operating in the black, KM kept mounting losses. Whether it's high fuel costs, weak econonomy, 9/11, increasing taxes etc etc there was always an excuse but fact nothing tangible was ever done as if there was no tomorrow. When Malta joined the EU, KM were given an injection of hundreds of millions of Euros shortly before hand in order to help it reform. And that process was posponed and posponed until now, the eleventh hour.
ALPA cannot hinder the inevitable but it may make a difference in the next act. Either accept a leaner Air Malta or go down the Swissair way. If anybody still believes that there is a third option must be living in Disneyland. It's crunch time and someone has to foot the bill, period.
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Dominic, just keep it up!
I just hope that your actions won’t be the last nail in AirMalta’s coffin!
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@not amused
MIA has a freehand regarding what it charges and the government does not want to interfere as it get more taxes from MIA's revenue, which after all is taxing us indirectly,
After government and MIA take their share of a ticket's cost Airmalta is left with almost nothing.
This all happened after PN privatized MIA.
As regards the strike by ALPA, I already said that the government has enough time to reconsider things.
MIA's overcharging has been one of the points raised in investigating airmalta's plight.
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@not amused
Fully agreed. Why not at least join all the Unions to have a bigger say or maybe ALPA does not need the other unions to help or at all !!
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@nuju
Indeed the government is primarily behind Air Malta's plight but on the other hand ALPA is holding the nation to blackmail on the half backed arguements the Alpa president is putting forward. The subsidies are an incentive for ANY carrier to fly low density markets, and that includes Air Malta ( a bit of variety & value for the end consumer for a change ).
The MIA, on the other hand, is a private company and their tariff policies cannot be dictated to unless there was a clause in the purchasing conditions from the seller, the Maltese government itself.
I have never heard that any Pilots Assocation have ever used Airport Charges as a reason to strike.
The problems that ALPA( and KM) are facing are purely internal affairs caused by the mismanagement of successive governments and the constant milking by individual ministers...a Greece in miniature ...and the way it's heading will not matter a hoot on the outcome but simply increases the bail out invoice.
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An opinion !! The way ALPA will be doing, will be harming our national airline, Airmalta. On the otherhand, if ALPA are clever enough, if they do not agree with MIA, they should be joined by all the Unions of Airmalta, and just let us say blocking MIA. Take the stand altogether. That's more powerful. What do you all think ??
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The ball is in gonzi half of the court, there is ample time for him to reconsider, any problems to passengers would be his fault.
ALPA has given more than enough notice for things to be settled in a gentlemanly manner.
The non-cuc malti CEO Tonio Arseinall Fenech employed can be given a good bye kiss because all he has done so far was sow uncertainty among Airmalta's workers, employed his buddies (presumably on athe minimum wage) and gave a list of those who have to make the sacrifice to make gonziPN/PN's mismanagement and incompetence.
Gonz get off your high horse and call elections.
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Prosit ALPA, very clever move.
Now anybody who is planning to go abroad in the last half of July (at least) would be very reluctant to book ticikets on Airmlata and will look to other airlines.
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galvin IL-QAWL MALTO TAF X'JGĦID?
LI "MIN JOQGĦOD MOXXU (i.e. artab, mans, kwiet) JAQA' TAĦT DWIEFER L-OĦRAJN"
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Someone had promised peace of mind. "Moħħok mistrieħ" was the phrase used on billboards in February and March 2008. This is the result of trusting in such promises: http://mazzun.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/bgonzi-mohhok-mistrieh/
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Haha very inteligent...........lol
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Domenic Azzopardi we're 100 % behind you. Looks like you know what you're talking about because so far nobody dared contradict a word you said. Show them that when the going gets tough the tough gets going.
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"MIA had sucked the Maltese tourism sector dry and had received more than €150 million from Air Malta."
Well is it for each year or each month? And for what? For nothing?
Mr. Dominic Azzopardi you better explain your self to be credible. And what do you mean by" if Malta International Airport plc (MIA) does not zero its charges "
You mean that Air Malta will pay nothing?
It is all a joke.
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Domienic Azzopardi has been saying and giving a list of suggesations to save Air Malta for a long time. But unfortunatley the Government does not want to listen! They do not care to save Air Malta but do care more to save Greece.
Furthermore PL is not doing their part. PL should poiint these suggestions and and lack of initiative by Air Malta point them to the general public one by onec. One of these is the lack of initiative and what Domenic has saying all along ....The pittance of charges on cargo to some companies and the charege these companise charge the public. Well done Doemic and keep it up.
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ara ma hsibtux li duminku xi mignun ta'! Kull haga li kiteb u qal hija verita'. Min jista jmeri l-verita'? Dan il-gvern li qed juri li huwa favur il-haddiem, mexxa l-kumpaniji tieghu hazin, min kien imexxihom sar sinjur, min miss maghhom ukoll, u min hadem tkecca jew naqqsulu l-kundizzjonijiet drastikament! Imbaghad gew mibjugha lil privat barrani, u dan ghamel il-qliegh ghad detriment tal-istess haddiema tieghu! Irridu gustizzja!! Nispera li duminku jaqra dan li qed nghid ghax nemmen li jista jsir xi haga fl-immedjat futur.
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From most of the comments below looks like MIA `privitization which was boasted so much by this current government has created a lot of problems to Air Malta .
How come when it was handed to this foreign company these problems were not discussed?
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@Mario Scibberras...Int mal poplu Malti habib, jew qed izzomm ma kumpanija privata le halbet L-Airmalta??...Insaqsi lilek jien...INT BIS SERJETA????3
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Il Kap ta l-union ALPA ghamel diversi akkuzi u semma diversi miljuni li l-MIA qed tiehu minghand l-AirMalta. Li jinkwetani f'dan kollu hu li s'issa HADD ma hareg imerih, u allura ghandi nifhem li is-Sur Azzopardi qed jghid is-sewwa. Jekk inhu hekk, veru kaz fejn il-monopolju li akkwistat l-MIA fuq platt tal-fidda minghand dan il-gvern qed ikun kagun principali ghala l-AirMalta tinsab f'din is sitwazzjoni imweghra.
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"Airline PIlots Association (ALPA) President Dominic Azzopardi promises that on July 15 Air Malta flights would be grounded and Air Malta would come to a standstill, if Malta International Airport plc (MIA) does not zero its charges." - dan bis-serjeta? If what is reported is accurate, God help us from people like Mr Azzopardi. Zero charges. Very realistic demand indeed.
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Go for it Dominic...after all, GonziPN has abdicated from his responsibilities...he is only good at bullying the small Maltese taxpayer but is a lick boot when it comes to foreigners...beat the crap out of them!!! There cannot be a good economy if workers are victimized all the time just because Government makes intentional mistakes...unless we want to be India! Men before Money!!!
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PROSET ALPA ISSA IL WAQT LI TURU LI INTOM MINTOMX ZIBEL KIEF QIAD JISTMAKOM GONZIPN. TATUX KAS GHAX JAJDOLKOM TAGHMLU HSARA LIL EKONOMIJA, GONZIPN ILU SNIN JAGHMEL HSARA LIL MALTA KOLLA.
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Finally ALPA has woken up. ALPA should join all the other Unions to do such thing. That's what the Government deserves. Unions must gather at once otherwise the governments till 15 July, might hire other foreign pilots.
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Tonio Fenech employed a bunch of foreigners, all buddies, at a cost of millions a year, and paid God (or the Madonna) only knows how much to Ernst & Young for their childish "plans" and then this guy, a pilot, places the most obvious thing on the table: - stop that Austrian comany (MIA) from sucking us dry!! WELL DONE> Anyone seen any weeping statues lately??
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It was one of the worse strategic and political decision to sell an asset of utmost national importance like the airport to a foreign company.
But the government through its overspending was strapped for cash. In any case the minor shareholders are also benefiting and they are know for their close association with the PN.
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Decizjoni difficli hafna! Riskjuza wkoll. Taf meta missek waqaft dumink? Ha nghidlwk ftit jien mela. Missek waqaft meta l-haddiema kollha ilhom snin twal ma jizdiedu, u il-kaptana hadu z-ziediet. Dan intqal fuq radju lokali li l-unici nies li zdiedu kienu l-cockpit u l-cabin crew u l-haddiema l-ohra l-ebda union ma ghinithom. Anzi, dahhlu bi zball 20 cabin crew ohrajn, iggieldu ghalihom, saru tal-post u issa qed jippinnaw sabiex huma jibqghu hemm u min ilu 30 u 35 sena jitkecca. Issa vera daqshekk, u jekk l-airmalta taghlaq u tfalli, ha jigrilha hekk ghal kulhadd Dumink. Misskom ilkom li waqaftu, kellek anke tmur thabbat il-bibien ta' min skont int ha kuntratti skandaluzi, izda dan ma ghamiltuhx. Issa misshom il-haddiema kollha jieqfu u mhux intom biss! Ftakar x'qalu darba, li jgibu kaptana minn barra u xorta jtiru l-ajruplani, izda l-maltin kaptana lokali bhalkom iridu! Qumu minn hemm! Qabel ikun too late!
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ITS TIME TO STAND UP AND BE COUNTED DEAR MALTESE PEOPLE!!!!! MALTA IS OUR AND NOBODY'S ELSE!!!!!
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nzid mal kumment li ghamilt ftit qabel, jekk il-gvern irrid jghin lil air malta, jaqbdu il 500 zieda li hadu, u jitfawom kolla fil but tal air malta, jekk vera QALBKOM mal haddiema, zgur li il poplu malti ma jsib l-ebda problema jekk iz-zieda li hadtu min flusna tmur fil but tal air malta biex jisalvaw l-impjigi tal familji maltin. imma naffu li dan ma tamluhx ax intom il hallelin tal poplu malti, u dawk kolla li vutaw favur biex jiehdu iz-zieda inkluzz jpo, jpf, u mugliette, komplici fdan is serq tal familji maltin, u il poplu jghid ma min rajtek xebahtek, ghalekk intom ukoll hallelin tas-socjeta.
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Prosit to PN gov .Konpli bieh kollox imbaghad oqghod eqred.
Spicca dak z zmien li Mintoff kien jghid ahleb Jus illium ahna l poplu irridu naraw minn fejn ser ngibu dan l halib u dan kollu jigi mit taxxi esagerati li qed jkollna nhallsu
Grazzi Gonzi PN
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il problemi fl-air malta komplew jizdidu meta l-gvern bieh MIA (Malta international airport) lil barrani, dawn xjigu jitnelhu mil air malta, ghalkem suppost jahdmu id-f-id u jigbdu habel wihed, dawn il kumpanija li tmexxi MIA fija ser tahseb mhux fl'air malta. l-gvern hemm bzonn inaqqas it-taxxa tal ajruport ax gieli tigi olja iktar mil biljett tal ajru, mbad irridu turisti jigu malta.
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That's it my friends, show them who has got balls!
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If needed, the Government reduces its own stupid salaries (which they are not worthed) and it goes to help Air Malta.
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Kemm saru nies sinjuruni mil-kumpaijji bhal l-Airmalta, Enemalta, Drydocks,
Mid-Med, Mater Dei etc etc li Mintoff kien ghamel biex ihaddem in-nies u il-kaxxa
to Malta ikolla dhul tajjeb biex jghamel tajjeb ghal edukazzjoni, sahha, toroq,
penzjonijjiet, children allownces etc u bagit wara iehor minajr telf u djun tal-biza.
Nispera i jasal iz-zmien u il-poplu Malti jkollu gustizzja mieghu u min sar sinjurun
ikollu jghati rendikont ta ghemilu.
Tghid dawn il-klikek jemmnu bil-kuxjenza u VERU jemmnu li ghat iridu jatu
rendikont lil Mulej.
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Finally, someone that has the balls to stand up to the arrogant Authorities that have been milking us the taxpayer dry for ages, gross incompetence, corruption galore, never accountable Ministers and politically appointed incompetent Managers!. It's about time the Maltese wake up from their indifference and start halting this injustice to workers and their families. We are all behind you Air Malta Workers, let's make it happen!
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Omerta, get your facts right. To be like Ryanair pilots, KM pilots will not load baggages, but get a pay increase.
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Jekk l Air Malta jiehdu s SUSSIDJU, il Pilots u Air hostess lesti jinzlu jabbu l bagalji bhal tar Ryan Air ?? Qabel ir referendum ghal EU tafu kemm dahhlu impjegati ?
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And who is accountable ????? NOBODY !!!!! Ghadek tiftakar din il frazi ? AHLEB GUZ
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Keep it up. What about highly paid management to become responsable for their decisions.
Isabelle Borg •
At last someone to stand up for the arrogance. Just do it, Malta is behind you. We are fed up of being milked by foreigners.
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Do it......
Malta had enough of these companies milking our economy, MIA, HSBC, Maltoco, Enzo Piano, BWSE,
we need to do a stop and say enough is enough because we will finish worsdt than Greece Malta needs to start taking action NOW
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If the government sacking the people to reduce the payroll he wouldn't have employed a CEO wth 500 000 euro wage and employing the new chairman friends giving them milions and other milions to young company.
After all an airline with 600 workforce and 10 aircrafts can be considered regional not national and it dosent need such an expensive ceo to run a small regional airline.
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This is exactly what all unions should have been doing for these last years as after all for because of ministries and friends of ministries owing companies such as MIA the workers get sacked and ministers get a rise, Bianchi and co making millions from MIA and airmalta workers getting sacked.
Bravu keep t up and where are all the unions? If one strikes for the interest of his job Not because he wants a raise but because they want efciency mela kuntratti ghall hbieb tal hbieb. Sew kien jghid Alfred Sant u ghall kliemu gejjin.
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What happens when you pay your tickets and the strike is sceduled on your departure date? Do you get refund or something? I am worried because I have 6 paid tickets on that precise day!
