Saturday, 19th July 2008
I told you so, Air Malta says of Ryanair
Air Malta said yesterday that its rebuttal of Ryanair's comments were vindicated this week when the Irish airline announced that this winter it will be cutting weekly flights at Dublin by 12 per cent and would also stop some services at Stansted in the UK due to the rising cost of fuel.
The Irish airline said that it expects to ground just over 10 per cent of its fleet next winter. Moreover, redundancies are expected in the company according to press reports in Ireland, even though it had stated earlier on that there would be no redundancies, Air Malta said.
In his reply, Ryanair's deputy chief executive officer Michael Cawley confirmed that the Irish airline was completely off mark when it said that Air Malta is 227 per cent more expensive than the Irish airline.
"He made a second attempt and got it wrong again," the national airline said.
"Without ever resorting to subsidies over the last years Air Malta has competed with far larger airlines and continued to provide a valuable link between the island and various destinations, thereby contributing to the island's tourism sector we know today.
"Air Malta customers are now benefiting from lower prices following a diligent restructuring process undertaken by the airline over the last five years, which included initiatives such as cost reduction, investment in IT systems and enhanced productivity, among others. Air Malta customers are increasing in number and the airline intends to continue offering them a fairly-priced quality service," it said.
Air Malta said that over the years it has brought to Malta 35 million passengers from a host of destinations.
"Many airlines have come and gone and more will follow. On the other hand, Air Malta operates a number of routes even though it does not cover all the indirect costs simply to support the Maltese tourism sector. Air Malta will remain committed to the Maltese society and its tourism industry for the years to come," it said.
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Comments
@all flyers for a few Euros stick with our National airlines(Air-Malta)because like Liam Kelly said Air Malta has been here for 30 yrs and it will be here another 100 yrs. Rynair gives a dam about Malta. It will pack up and leave in a minute, if need be.
Most people miss the forest cos of the trees.
Airmalta is only protecting itself from the obvious , which is not obvious to everyone .
December is a long way off !
The price of fuel is constantly rising, and no goverment hedging is in place !
Some prices are so low that it is impossible to honour them , and stay in profit !
If you are driving into a wall , it makes sense to Brake ?
Lets wait and see ...............................................
'...........and hope that at least Airmalta operates to his country'
Mr Galea, I fully agree with you. I hope that at least Airmalta operates to my country . . . . i.e. MALTA!
My point in the original comment was that Airmalta is also following the market trend in cutting flights, to the detriment of the Maltese residents who live in Scotland.
Quote
Rayniar's aggressive expansion plans became the latest victim of the airline industry downturn.......... Europe's biggest low-cost carrier said it would ground 12 planes at Stansted airport this winter and CLOSE SEVEN EUROPEAN BASES.
It is cutting services on its busiest routes at Stansted and will withdraw planes from seven other airports, including Budapest and Valencia, for six weeks from November 4. Rayniar is effectively reducing its fleet by 10% this winter, including a decision to park a further four planes at Dublin airport.
Unquote
When will it be Malta's turn . Who will you fly with to get off this island ?
Mr Gregory can pick the phone and ask Mr Cawley if Rayniar can operate the mentioned flights, even if on days there are more crew than passengers. He may still have to swallow his words ...........and hope that at least Airmalta operates to his country , to protect the local tourist industry and MAYBE make a little profit !!!!!!!
Why dn't you try to go to Budapest or Valencia next November with U NO WHO :-) ????
Air Malta should be given the full support of all Maltese people and authorities to continue to carry the Maltese Flag.
It is also true that in certain areas the company requirs to render its services better.
This decision came as a blow for all those (including Maltese) who live in Scotland.
This also means:
1. Indirect flights incur signifacant costs and time (more than twice the price we usually pay)
2. A whole day (at least) would be wasted travelling.
3. MTA/Airmalta wasted a lot of money by heavily advertising Malta (as a holiday destination) in the Scottish cities of Glasgow and Edinburgh.
Hoping that Airmalta will reverse it's decision
AIR MALTA is a National landmark. AIR MALTA invests heavily in our tourism industry. Ever since its inception, our National Airline, has promoted the Islands by flying GRATIS film crews, media reporters, foreign travel agencies staff, glossy magazine writers and many and much more. It withstands many challenges and carries on regardless!