Former Air Malta Ministers decline responsibility for the airline’s situation
Former Minister of Tourism Konrad Mizzi defended his work at Air Malta, while pointing out the two Ministers who came after him when asked if he felt he should take responsibility for the current state of the airline. .
In separate comments, Edward Zammit Lewis, who was in charge of the national airline before Mizzi, said he supported the government’s current plan for Air Malta.
The government announced last week that it would be halving the airline’s workforce in a recent attempt to save the struggling airline from 890 employees. for only 420.
Mizzi served as tourism minister for two years between 2017 and 2019 before resigning amid political turmoil over revelations linked to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
While a minister, he has repeatedly said that Air Malta will soon be back on its feet. He reiterated his claim to parliament just weeks before he surrendered, in October 2019. In March of that year, Mizzi announced that the airline had made changes and made a profit for the first time in several years.
Asked on Wednesday whether he would take responsibility for the current state of the airline, Mizzi quickly pointed out that there had been two different ministers since he left.
“I was not a minister [since 2019]… Behind me were two other ministers. There was also COVID and other situations, “said Mizzi Times of Malta.
Mizzi also said that under his watch, Air Malta conducted a “break even operation for the first time in history” and further rejected the suggestion that this was because the airline’s main assets had been sold.
He also said that the airline will be halving its workforce not because there were “extra” employees but because it no longer needed to carry out its own ground handling operations.
According to the government, of those being laid off, some 300 will come from ground handling operations while the remaining 110 will be administrative staff.
Prior to Air Malta’s award to Mizzi, Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, then Minister of Tourism, was politically responsible for the airline.
Following Mizzi’s departure, Economy Minister Silvio Schembri was appointed Minister for Air Malta before Finance Minister Clyde Caruana took over the portfolio following a cabinet reshuffle.
Asked if he too should take responsibility for the airline’s financial situation, said Zammit Lewis. Times of Malta: “The Minister of Finance said that there were decisions that had to be taken for several years and were being taken now.
“There is another attempt to save Air Malta. I support the government’s plans. The government has been trying to save Air Malta since 2013. No matter what the Nationalist Party says, we have found an airline that was in very poor condition. “
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