[WATCH] Abela: ‘I expect to have crew on national airline who can speak Maltese’

The new national airline has received a telling off from the Prime Minister after Maltese was ditched as a job requirement for cabin crew.

Robert Abela said on Tuesday that he has spoken to the company on the matter that caused controversy.

“When I fly on the national airline, I expect to have crew that can speak in Maltese,” Abela said when asked by reporters for his views on the issue during a press conference at Castille marking this administration’s two years since the general election.

Prime Minister Robert Abela addressing the press conference on Tuesday (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

“I have spoken to company and they assured me that this will be the case,” Abela said, adding the use of the Maltese language must be given its due importance.

KM Malta Airlines, the aviation company that stepped in after Air Malta’s demise, dropped the Maltese language as a requirement for cabin crew recruits.

The airline justified its decision on the basis that 80% of its passengers were foreign nationals.

Previously, Air Malta required cabin crew to know Maltese and English.