Pilots vote for Air Malta grounding as government warns on risk of bankruptcy

Qatt ma kont nemmen li haw tant Maltin li jhobbuhom daqstant lill-piloti! Imbaghad meta tiftakar li l-ewwel haga li ghamel Mintoff meta kien sar PM kien li tefa' 800 haddiem 'il barra. Hadd ma kien thassarhom, imsieken.

Briffy my dear, whether you like it or not the people will rise soon just like they (we) did in the 80s. You can keep mumbling as much as you like. Either government comes clean or else he is to realise that the maltese people know when enough is enough. Napoleon realised it and so will briffy.

@John Smith....you are confirming people's suspicions. If you equate Malta and its government with Tunisia, Egypt, Syria and Libya and their regimes you are not only betraying your crass ignorance and making yourself an object of ridicule, but also confirming to all and sundry the pathetic state of your mind. If you were living in those countries you would not be able to write on this website in those terms. You can afford this 'luxury' as the Tunisians, Syrians and Egyptians would term it simply because thanks to Eddie Fenech Adami full democracy was restored in Malta after 1987. But let's not kid ourselves that we can abuse freedom of expressions by hiding under a nom-de-plume; the authorities have the means to trace the PC that is used to write comments. So we should all show respect and cherish our freedom, the most precious of all commodities, and don't take freedom for granted. Ask our neighbours in N Africa and in Iran, Belorussia what it means to lose one's freedom. We all had a foretaste of this in the 1970s and 80s.

@il googal. what bargaining power as u talking about? As if this Air Malta crises was only discovered yesterday. Successive administrations, (and including ALPA) has been sticking their heads in the sand for too long knowing exactly what was going on but as long as the bill was not due they all kept mum about it (or at best remained passive). Now is the case who is going to foot the biggest chunk of the bill. Of course it is going to hurt but it looks like they will all seal their own destiny and be done with it. When KM is put to rest and buried, the tourism industy will obviously take a hard knock but it will reel back slowly to face the new realities while our politicians and the unions will have all the time in world pointing fingers at each other, which is what they do best anyway.

Air Malta was built to stay, we all agree this is vital for our island, our national carrier. The airline was pushed into banckrupcy way back due to the fact that it started being privatised by the goverment to foreigners. The current situation in Air malta wasn't accumulated overnight,we know it, they know it. Unless a drastic action is taken management and goverment will walk over the airline employees as we've seen it happening so many times before. A strike is the last option any union will go for. What's wrong with that? What's wrong in supporting these pilots? Yes we're behind them because we might be next

Briffy - your comments show you for what you are - a heartless apologising bigot. You call the 511 dismissals a flimsy excuse, have you tried being in their shoes seeing all they have built in the ardous years go down like the twin towers did on 9/11.What about their livelihood and that of their families. You really have to have a heart of steel to call such uncertainty for 511 families a flimsy excuse. And what's wrong in having an agenda to bring the govrnment down? Was it wrong for the Tunisians and Egyptians. Is it wrong for the Libyans and the Syrians that they are fighting for that ultimate goal. Well the people get the government they deserve and if the people see that they do not have the govrnment they deserve they should topple it down. They always did throughout the annals of socio political history. They call it people power stupid. This government does not deserve to 'rule' this island any longer. It has failed to deliver. We have sold the family jewels only to increase the national debt. It has gone back on its promise to AM employees that their job is guaranteed. Tomorrow it will be others facing the same fate on unkept promises. No my friend, you can remain an apologist till kingdom come if you like but no briffy will overturn the will of the people, who have it up to their noses now, to make Castille square the Maltese version of Tahrir. Yes Malti Kburi you gave us our battle cry: "Il-kotra qamet f,daqqa u ghajtet jien Maltija,miskin minn ikasbarni,miskin min jidhaq Bija!!" So please briffy, stand aside, and watch what maltese men and women are really made of!!! Meanwhile you can still post your silly comments till kingdom come. You have a right to be wrong as much as you have the right to be silly!!

It seems some people are all out to ruin Malta's economy on the flimsy excuse that 511 jobs are being axed. I ask which is the lesser evil...losing 511 jobs or thousands of jobs in the touriam and related industries? The answer is obvious to anybody who doesn't have another agenda which, they themselves say is to bring this government down. Out of the 511 jobs at stake, pilots, engineers and cabin crew can find a job with other airlines. It really boils down to some 350 clerical and ground handling jobs, the better qualified of these can find another job. The problem as always is the unskilled and unqualified and the dead wood. The dole plus doing something on the side will should ensure that these will plod on.

I show my sympathy towards the Pilots and all Airmalta workers and encourage you to stand up to the hypocrats trying to govern this country.Airmalta has been milked out of its milk all these years and ever since the restructuring began in 2004 ,a fair amount of people with interest were and are still milking Air Malta,this time not from its milk however,but sucking its blood....the livelihood of the workers. Come on lets face it,would you think the workers do not have the company at heart or what?.Wouldn`t you think that the farce of restructuring process which began in 2004,with no results, but only sacrifices from workers ,has brought workers to the point of having no faith in their management when they still see, millions of money charged from several companies to Airmalta and the company mismanaged to extremes, which leaves no doubt as to the personal interest of the management and those who appointed them. The truth will eventually surface and the Maltese Cuc will realize that what these workers are doing is patriotic and in the name of the country.Time will tell.The company is already bankrupt thanks to the irresponsabile privatization process in the company and continued unchallenged management which not only made the company loose millions,but has made tons of money themselves and private entities involved in Airmalta contracts, at the detriment of the national airline and its workers. "Il-kotra qamet f,daqqa u ghajtet jien Maltija,miskin minn ikasbarni,miskin min jidhaq Bija!!"

ALPA deserves not only the support of all the other unions within AIR MALTA but the Maltese people ought to make it a priority to make sure of their support at the MARCH OF JULY 15, This country has finally found the means to stop the henious crimes of this ADMINISTRATION that has destroyed the NATIONAL ASSETS of Malta and divided them amongst their CIRCLE OF BENEFACTORS & PREFFERED FOREIGN ACCOMPLICES. As a WARNING to GONZIPN, the Maltese people ought to send a clear message with their March in Valletta of July 15, that should this government allow AIR MALTA to go into bankruptcy, the people will respond by demanding and seeing through that this government resign immediately so that this national asset along with the Malta International Airport is nationalised, irregardless of what the EU says. This excuse that Malta must privatise everything is hogwash because most EU states are still holding billion of euros of national entities. This lame belief of privatisation at all costs, that nobody questioned in Malta was used to rob this nation of all its precious assets. Malta should hail ALPA & DOMENIC AZZOPARDI as crusaders to stop the hemmoraging that has ruined this island. This is a CRUSADE between the people of the small but proud nation and the corrupt and heartless administration that continues with its hidden and shameless agenda of dismantling the peoples assets for their own self indulgence.

AF1...your words betray you and the likes of you. So the idea is not to back up Air Malta employees but to destroy Air Malta with its attendant consequences on the economy, so you bring the government down. If this is not sabotage and sedition, what is?

@ not amused Some bargaining power, my friend. The Gov is seeking "no fault" bankruptcy. And by the way this is not a hollywood scenario. Look what they do all over europe. One has to have some imagination. What's wrong by being a non-fatalist?

Only Air Malta is being mentioned at the moment. What about "LUFTHANSA Technik", some of the "blue eyes eks Air Malta people are managing this company in Malta, and such contracts have been lost. If the owners of Lufthansa are not going to open their eyes of what is going on, we will soon be hearing that Lufthansa will be chopping an amount of employees. Half it's work force is on forced leave. Why ??? What is going on ???? Also these people should be present at the Air Malta strike , next week. In my opinion, all Maltese should attend, because after all, it's their tax money.

@il Googol Barricading themselves in their offices sounds like a hollywood scenario. At least it give us another public holiday after the Sette Giugno. U forgot to tell us what will be achieved by such a stunt. It's time to face realities and we are all involved, not just the KM employees.

If things remain as they are with MIA airmalta doors have been shut years ago. Shall we see vasallo airways son?

Jekk ma tieqfux bhad dockyard jigrilkom. Mela jekk tieqfu tigi bankrupt....hallina sur gvern..forsi fl-ahhar sibtu kappell jigikom... jekk tiggieldu ghad-drittijiet taghkom orsi baqa cans zghir..jekk tirtiraw i id-dockyard ghalqet 2 tal-linja telqu 3 l-lottu telaq ..dan il-gvern irid izarma kollox u jinqeda b xi hadd iehor. am good luck

@amused "It is simply going to make it close doors.........." My advice to KM workers: If they close the airline, don't leave the offices. Occupy everything and fight it out like real men.

Ma dove sono le due mani forti?

If anybody thinks this will save the Airline had better think again. It is simply going to make it close doors and afterwards auction off whatever assets the airline still has while the nation is squabbling about who is responsible for the mess. Eventually out of the ashes a new privatized airline/s will arise, new entities without the constraints of the old contracts. What, fantasy scenario? Look at Swissair and Olympic Airlines. What will be left?...that's easy. Our politicians, of course

Looks like ALPA the union's pilot is a tough nut to crack. With unchallenged facts and sheer determination on Fri. July 15 the rest of the unions should be there together with the maltese people and march united together to show solidarity. Go ahead - ground the planes - we're all behind you. People vote ministers in power and the same people will vote you out of office. Keep that in mind Dr. Gonzi!!!!! Air Malta saga could be the begining of the end for this administration.

GonziPN has turned Airmalta in the bankruptcy and not the proposed strike. GonziPN hypocrisy at its best.

Il problema fl-Airmalta bdiet meta gabu certu wiehed Paris mill-iStates u gennen lill-management fuq il-unit cost. Dejjem biex inaqqsu il-unit cost imma qatt ma qallhom li fl-istess hin jridu jzidu d-dhul. Ara jekk jiftakrux il-haddiema kemm hadulhom rashom dejjem isemmu il-unit cost ghal xi skuza jew ohra? Barra minn hekk, kullhadd irid jifhem li l-ammont ta' piloti li-Airmalta trid tnehhi jfisser li min dahal wara 1998 zgur ghal barra. Ittihom xi tort? Li ma nistax nifhem hi l-mozzjoni ta' nuqqas ta' fiducja fil-management mill-2004 l-hawn. Igifieri l-agreement li l-piloti ghamlu ma' dal-management se jirrinunzjawh? Il-gvern ilu jaf li l-kumpanija mhix sejra tajjeb mis-sena 2000 ghax allura ghalfejn sar l-MOU? Daqshekk ilha ccaqcaq fil-kuriduri tal-Airmalta li l-affarijiet mhux qieghdin sew. Bl-MOU kellhu jsir ir-ristrutturar li s'issa ghadu ma' sarx. Min zamm biex l-MOU ma jsirx? Forsi s-siggu tal-poter biex ma ngerxux nies fl-elezzjonijiet? Ma ninsewx li mill-2000 'l hawn kellna l-elezzjoni tal-2003 li kienet torbot id-dhul ta' Malta fl-EU. U x'ma ghamlux tal-EU biex jirbah il-PN? Insejna meta l-kummissarju Ver Huegen hedded li jtelliflu l-elezzjoni lill-Partit Laburista? Allura issa b'liema jedd tigi l-EU u tghidilna biex nghalqu l-Airmalta? Anzi L-EU ghandha d-dmir morali li lill-pajjizna tghinu mhux fl-Airmalta biss imma anke f'azjendi u affarijiet ohra ghax hi kienet il-percimes li deffset subaghja biex nissiebhu maghha akkost ta' kollox. U l-PN xi tridu jaghmel? Accetta kollox b'ghajnejh maghluqa fid-diskussjonijiet biex dhalna, issa ma jista' jaghmel xejn ghax ilu li biegh ruhhu.

The POLITICAL joke of the century. The P.N. will have completed their mission of getting rid of what Montoff had done for this nation and will have it written in bold gold ink that they have succeeded. Well done Dr.GonziPN. Thank God that in Malta the people are idiots and not like the Tunisians the Egyptians and the Libyans, at least for the time being. I assure you that very soon, your hay days will by far be over. But do not forget, you will have to shoulder the responsibility of the so many investigations that there would be after the general election and Dr.Muscat would be our sincere PRIME MINISTER. Every thing that we Maltese had, was given away on a silver plate for free to foreigners. This is the goal of the E.U. Thank you to His excellency E.F.A. Hope that when there will be a general strike, your PN Government will be Bankrupt . For the record, I do not have any thing to do with Air Malta, but my tax that I paid do.

In all businesses, you give preferential treatment to your best clients- it's a given, and I challenge anyone to showl me otherwise. Airmalta is by far the best client of MIA- and the most taxed! Airmalta needs and can divert some of its operations off the MIA area - but is not permitted to do so. This is not business dealings - this is CORRUPTION at its best. Other type of corruption ? the schedules are done by Government, MTA and MHRA, and yet it is expected that Airmalta runs at a profit - when half the routes it operates are not profitable. I can go on for ever, but my point is this. Can all the know alls, who speak from the comfort of their armchair, explain why it should be the workers to be sacrificed at the altar of INCOMPETENCE and CORRUPTION ? i don't recall any of the gurus, cwiec maltin or otherwise, who brought the company to its knees, going to the ETC to find a job. Does anyone ?

Mr.Government...The Pilots are doing the right right at the right time. If they dont you will not understand the meaning of gross incompetence from your side. Your excuse is clear, stike will lead to bankrupcy. Well, you know, that is niether correct nor fair...cause the truth is that MIA (of your friend Mr.Bianchi) is doing a great job leading AIRMALTA to BANKRUPCY with a 21 euro tax per passenger. So lets not blame the PILOTS on this matter. Blame the circle of rich friends who sucked our economy dry and lead all our companies to bankrupcy in the name of your so called 'progress'! All I wish now is that the Maltese people wake up and revolt against your incompetence, arrogance and corrupt circle of friends. YOUR TIME IS UP!!!

Hawn Malta id dritt ta l-istrajk spicca bil pulit. Jekk l-union tiftah halqa jghidulha biex talghqu jew jinghataw is-sensji. Jekk haddiem jiftah halqu jghidulu li trid tirrikkatta lil employer, jekk union issejjah strike johorgu jajghruha li qed taghmel hsara lil ekonomija u dejjem sejrin bl-istess kantaliena. Dan kollu gara ghax dan il gvern kien brillanti fil pjan tieghu ta matul is-snin fejn qasam l-unions u fired il haddiema. F'kelma wahda ifred u saltan. Int haddiem ma tista taghmel XEJN taht dal gvern biex tipprotegi l-interessi tieghek. L-unika arma li fadallek f'idejk huwa l-vot u nispera li l-ebda ittra b'icing sugar gurnata qabek l-elezzjoni ma iddawwarlek fehmtek.

Had there to be Special Olympics for CEOs and Top Management Teams Malta would definitely be spoiled for choice and guaranteed a good number of gold medals.

Kemm qed niehu gost bil-piloti, fl-ahhar stenbah xi hadd (ghalkemm ftit tard) u induna li dan il- gvern flimkien shabu tal klikka fallew u serqu l-azjendi li kellu il-poplu u tawhom jew lill shabhom inkella lill barranin. Qed niehu gost li fl-ahhar il- gvern sab lill piloti li huma ghadma iebsa, minajrhom l-ajruplani ma itirux, tieqaf l-airmalta u jieqaf nofs il-pajjiz, lill gonzipn dawn in-nies qed juruh li ma tistax tibqa taffeg bi flus u bl assi tal poplu. wahda mill illuzjonijiet li hawn f`dan il- pajjiz hi li il-partit nazzjonalista ghandu hafna nies intelligenti mieghu u jafu imexxu, l- airmalta kienet immexxija min management u board tad diretturi nazzjoalisti, ir-rizultati qedin hemm biex jarhom kullhadd, il- maskla tal pn qed tinkixef.

Whilst it is obvious that the gross incompetencies of the current goverment have brought the national airline to this state it is now late in the day to strike! The stakeholders involved in the stike have to play it safe. It could be that the goverment is waiting for a strike to just to finish off AirMalta by saying that AirMalta is completely bankrupt. The strike should have come ages ago. Now that the airline company is in deep financial crisis and all seems lost their is still hope for AirMalta to survive. AIRMALTA MANAGEMENT MUST TAKE THE OPPORTUNITY TO RENEGOTIATE AND RESTRUCTURE its CURRENT CONTRACTS that are draining it of its profitability. If this is combined with a revenue generation exercise and implemeting of new business plans the Airline can definitely be saved. But alas it really seems that this goverment is not keen on saving the airline and does not want to know!!!

Although Air Malta has been subsidised by the Maltese taxpayer for several years all in the name of boosting the tourism industry, the Govt, AirMalta administrators and MIA management were carelessly strangulating the airline until we have now reached this dramatic situation. One remembers the publicity given to Ryan Air when it decided to use Malta as a "Hub!". Let the tourism industry now enjoy the tourist which Ryan Air and allied airlines bring to our shores. As for me I'm fed up of subsidising the tourism industry out of my own pocket. Ironically Malta is an expensive destination when it come to obtaining value for money!

If I got it correctly the pilots' Union ALPA have issued the strike threat with more than 15 days notice to government .This shows goodwill on their part and gives decision makers within AIRMALTA the time to address the issues which the pilots and other unions are insisting on i.e that contracts which do not make financial sense be re-negotiated with third parties who had it good till now but who have got to bear the brunt now that things don't look good anymore.If Airmalta goes down these third parties will go down as well.Threat of strike seems last resort before hundreds of jobs are lost.

@boxer - bhal ma kienu qamu l-haddiema tal-Phoenicia. Tiftakarha l-istorja?

AirMalta is already a bankrupt company...AM has no assets...it is just a company on paper! Go...ask TF to enlist the physical assets of AM. Good one Dominic...better one man dies that a whole nation perishes!

Who was in government in the last 25 years? Who chose the various chairmen and the directors of Air Malta. How were they chosen - because of their competence or their affiliation with the PN? Who made very grave strategic decisions that cost Air Malta millions of euro and shook the foundations of Air Malta which was not able to weather any further storms? Why was Air Malta not given preferential treatment when the contract with MIA was signed? Haven't we been saying all along that Air Malta is not just an airline but our national carrier?

Ok. It's good . But if airmalta files for banlruptcy, what then? What's the nextstep? Is there a plan of action?

Hallu xi haga wahda li hi tal-MALTIN, immiskom tisthu qriedu kollox. Jew ghamiltu halfa li dak kollu tajeb li ghamel il-labour TRIDU TEQIRDUH. ETNIC CLEANSING BIL-PULIT

If there is anyone who risks putting Air Malta into bankruptcy is the government not the pilots.

TONIO STOP GIVING MONEY TO MIA AND LET US FLY

with all due respect to the pilots, this is hardly the time to strike. you are merely killing the airline faster. the best thing you could do at this stage is take a pay cut. renegotiations with MIA should also take place, don't get me wrong... but maybe that's the tactic, scare them with a strike... and then not strike at all. we hope.

It is useless for the minister to say that it wil close down. AirMalta was shut down by the PN no one else. If Tonio loves air malta more than his friend at MIA move along what the pilots are telling you. Stop giving more money to your friends there at MIA. Give Air Malta the old Terminal for them to use as offices and disembaking of passengers. Over 28 Million a year s being given to MIA when they could all be saved by Airmalta if the government was not so incompetent.

Air Malta has been in difficulty since 2003 and one year later an MOU was signed with all unions. I am told that there were other plans to save money, such as moving all offices from MIA, opening discussions with MIA to reduce airport costs, and many others. What happened then since 2005? Who is to answer for this?

Sorry meant MERCENARY INTERESTS ALONE= MIA

MIA an acronym for MERCENARY INTERESTS ONLY or else MISSING IN ACTION.They have had it too good fro far too long-its payback timer!

This is the end of Air Malta and of GonziPN. It is GonziPN that has brought Air Malta to its knees. I congragulate the pilots as they have balls to stand up infront of this arrogance from the goverment and Air Malta management. If Air Malta goes down GonziPN will have to go down also. GonziPN has allowed certain General Managers to run away from Air Malta. There are provi skjaccanti tat- tghaffig li wettqu dawn il-GM's bl- eluf ta' ewro li nefqu fil vojt ghax mhux minn taghhhom. Minkejja dan ghadhom ma itihdux passi mill- managment prezenti. You can run away but you cannot hide yourself unless you emigrate to Brasil!!! the time will come when you have to reply for your tghaffig.

Oh how I wish "ALL" the unions are of the same opinion and as strong as you are!!!!!!!!

ALPA thanks for showing the way the maltese workers have to do for the jobs(that they be loseing) MALTESE WORKERS KEEP LOOKING FOR WHAT IS HAPPENING AT AIR MALTA MYBE NEXT IT WILL HAPPEN TO YOU

another sea malta. Unfortunately.

Tajjeb qumu haddiema tal Air Malta ghax inkella jamlukhom tapit