Pilots satisfied as Air Malta installs erase button on cockpit voice recorder

Updated to include a statement from Air Malta.

An industrial dispute between Air Malta and ALPA, the pilots’ union, has been resolved, the union confirmed.

In a statement, the Airline Pilots Association (ALPA) said that it had received information that the system to delete any recordings from the Cockpit Voice Recorder was installed in the Air Malta plane 9H-AHS and that AirMalta planned for this upgrade to be installed at least a few days ago. AirMalta CEO Joe Galea confirmed the information.

ALPA said that it was not informed of any upgrades beforehand, and that if they had known the issue would not have escalated as much.

Last week, the Pilots’ Union ordering industrial action after it instructed pilots not to operate flights on the airline’s newest aircraft (9H-AHS) that joined the fleet last weekend.

The reason for the industrial action related to the aircraft’s cockpit voice recorder which records audio from the cockpit for the purpose of investigation of accidents and incidents. The recording from the cockpit cannot legally be used for any purpose other an incident investigation.

The action had later been suspended after the airline went to court.

ALPA went on to say that despite what Air Malta said last week, that the flight  KM646 to Catania was not delayed because of the industrial action, but in truth because the new Air Malta plane had technical issues of a serious nature. The union said that the plane went back to Malta and was delayed to be repaired.

Air Malta reacts

In a press release, Air Malta said that it is disappointed that ALPA "continuously fails to show the goodwill necessary to ensure harmonious industrial relations," as it said the union is persisting in twisting facts in its communications to try to show the airline in bad light."

The airline explained that it had informed the union, at the very begining, that it is working to install the CVR erase button. Despite this, ALPA went ahead with the Industrial Action, Air Malta said.

Air Malta managed to find a soltuion "months ahead of the originally expected timeline" – that is, on Tuesday.

"All Air Malta’s efforts were done in good faith in spite of the fact that, in Air Malta’s view, it was not in breach of the collective agreement as claimed by ALPA," the airline said.