Libyan no-fly zone drops air traffic control income by less than 60%

The substantial dip in income was confirmed by a spokesperson for the finance ministry, which is responsible for the company Malta Air Traffic Services Ltd.

It is believed MATS has suffered a drop of 60% in income from air traffic. Asked to confirm, a MATS spokesperson would only reply: “The drop in income is substantially less than that quoted in your question.”

MATS was also asked about how Malta’s air traffic control was affected by the Libyan situation and what route changes took place. The spokesperson said that the changes in routes affected most those airline companies that traverse Malta’s air space in Northern or Southern directions.

“The income is based on the amount of planes that traverse Malta’s air space. In 2010, there were 94,733 movements in Maltese air space in all,” The spokesperson said.

The also explained that the income depends on various factors, among which is the distance travelled in Maltese airspace, and the size of the plane, adding also that military planes are exempt from the policy – an exemption in force since the start of Libyan military operations.

Questions on what was Malta’s precise income off every plane that traverses our airspace remained unanswered, however.