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EU foots the bill for chartered flight
A five-man delegation last week flew to Brussels on an Air Malta aircraft after the pilot of the private jet that is usually chartered by the Office of the Prime Minister was taken ill just 30 minutes before take-off.
An Airbus which can carry between 141 and 180 passengers was chartered to take a five-man delegation to Brussels
MaltaToday is informed that the cost to charter an aircraft is €2,600 per hour, however an Air Malta spokesperson said that the information is "commercially sensitive". The delegation flew to Brussels on an Air Malta airbus, which can carry anything between 141 and 180 passengers.
Asked by MaltaToday to confirm the cost of the flight, an OPM spokesperson said the bill will be footed by the EU. He explained that it is "pertinent to note that the cost of the flight for European Council delegations is reimbursed by the European Union".
MaltaToday understands that in light of the national airline's restructuring plan, the OPM pays commercial rates for such transportation.
The OPM spokesperson explained that the delegation attending the EU Council last week took an Air Malta chartered flight since the pilot who operates the private jet was rushed to hospital minutes before the flight was scheduled to leave, after having been involved in an accident.
"The flight also included the Minister of Finance, who had to attend a meeting of the Eurogroup. Since no scheduled flights were available, allowing both delegations to attend the meetings, other options had to be considered, including the chartering of an Air Malta plane once this was available," the spokesperson said.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi and his delegation were on their way to the European summit - where Gonzi signed the new European fiscal pact - and the OPM had to charter an Air Malta aircraft to make it to Brussels in time for the Council meeting.
Air Malta is currently undergoing an intensive restructuring process that will include the reduction of some of its loss-making as well as profitable routes, so that it gets the green light from the European Commission for €238 million in state aid.
Last month, Gonzi was involved in another controversy regarding the use of an aircraft. He made use of an Armed Forces of Malta aircraft in his capacity as Nationalist Party leader. The plane which is exclusively used by the AFM in its search and rescue missions flew Gonzi to a meeting of the European People's Party held in Palermo, Sicily in May 2011.
