Air Malta fleet decision now expected next week

The decision about which type of aircraft Air Malta is to choose was likely to be announced some time next week, Economic Services Minister Josef Bonnici said yesterday.

Prof. Bonnici said there were still some minor negotiations that had to be concluded.

"This is an opportunity to provide Air Malta with a new generation of aircraft for a much reduced cost. Such an opportunity would not have been possible last year, before Spetember 11.

"The price Air Malta paid to lease aircraft last summer was practically twice the price being discussed for the lease of the new aircraft," Prof. Bonnici said.

The new aircraft are also expected to bring other advantages, such as greater efficiency and fuel savings, Prof. Bonnici said.

"This re-engineering from the financial point of view is putting Air Malta on a solid footing for the next 10 years.

"The deal is very important for our economy. We just have to wait a little more for the little details to be concluded.

"The deal is a critical one. I want to compliment the Air Malta staff who have been involved and who have done an excellent job wading through technical details and complex negotiations," Prof. Bonnici said.

Airline industry sources said Boeing representatives were in Malta for talks on Tuesday while Airbus Industrie representatives were involved in talks on Wednesday. Airbus Industrie were known to have the edge over Boeing in the final round of negotiations.

The sources explained that negotiations were very complex as aircraft makers only made the aircraft frame and installed the wiring. Although each aircraft maker had its own preferred suppliers, further negotiations were still needed on furnishing the aircraft, the supply of engines and in-flight instrumentation among other equipment.

Air Malta will not be buying the new fleet, but will be leasing them with an option to buy after a number of years.