Once we’re on an “I’m going to say it if nobody bothers” roll let’s talk about Air Malta. First of all a hand on heart expression of gratitude and admiration to the crews who manned the Air Malta flights into Tripoli to get passengers out of the revolution torn country. There’s no sarcasm, really, we admire them. They went “beyond their call of duty” as Minister Fenech said and volunteered for an act of personal sacrifice not without an element of danger. For that they deserve recognition and, as I said, gratitude.
Fine. That’s the honours. Now for the stark reality. Back in Malta the pilots and crew were treated to a deserved welcome by the Minister while the Labour side of the political divide croaked about the Great National Airline. Here’s Leo Brincat’s thoughts from facebook (his capitals not mine):
TGHID L-AIR MALTA GHAD TIBQA F’QAGHDA LI TAQDI IL-FUNZJONI SOCJALI LI QDIET F’DAWN L-AHHAR SIEGHAT B’TANT KBURIJA, FI- TRIPLI, FL-INTERESS NAZZJONALI, WARA LI TIGI MBICCRA BHALA LINJA NAZZJONALI TAL-AJRU MILL GVERN FUQ PARIR TAL KONSULENTI LI QED JITHALLSU E1 MILJUN FIX-XAHAR?
L-Ghasafar fic-Comb (birds in lead)
It’s all there isn’t it. The war story, the brave heroes acting beyond the call of duty and the capitalist villain earning €1 million while planning a cull of this brave workforce. Air Malta’s dreams have come true. Finally we have a reason to justify its running at a loss. From ghasafar tac-comb (lead (heavy) birds) they have transformed to the ghasafar fic-comb (birds that fly through lead) and boy are we not proud of them.So now we should ride over popular feeling and sentiment and take a huge dump on economic and accounting figures. Because you never know when the next revolution under a tinpot dictator will happen. You never know when the next revolution in a country full of Maltese expats can come about do you?
Well. To be fair there’s always Belgium. You know. The tinpot Walloons might declare war over the Vlams Frites and before you know it a valiant crew will be flying out the fonctionnaires from Zaventem amid the last minute rush. Or Luxembourg – whaddayouknow… a flight from Findel is always easier than a twenty minute drive to Belgium/France or Germany. Take your pick.
Sorry Leo. The butchery of the national airline is an exercise in downsizing based on economic realities that go far beyond the sudden emergency of a Libyan revolution. Funny how no one is mentioning that one particular possible saviour of AirMalta a few weeks ago could have been Ghaddafi himself. Anything goes eh?
Don’t get me wrong I love Air Malta and the service it provides. I am also resigned to the economic realities surrounding Air Malta. Without a national airline or a proper army plane to speak of Malta would just have to do what the Americans did with the ferries no? It’s called chartering planes. The cost of chartering planes in times of emergency would more than justify eliminating the bleeding accounts of a limping national airline. No?
Again, I have the huge suspicion that those who are most vociferous in promoting the “Brave AirMalta” campaign are those who stand to lose most from having the benefits and perks of our national airline cut off. It’s not the heroic pilots that they are going to miss… it’s the freebies and discounted flights.
