ALPA speaks out on KM Malta dispute: 'Airline plan not fair on first officers'
Pilots' union says replying to questions about retirement payouts could 'compromise safety'
Airline pilot union ALPA has claimed that its industrial dispute with KM Malta Airlines centres on a push by the airline to upgrade First Officers without having spent enough time with the airline.
In a press statement issued on Saturday, the union said that the airline was thinking of upgrading experienced First Officers to Commander “following a minimal amount of time to familiarise themselves with the Company’s operations.”
“ALPA feels this will create cockpit disharmony, will not be fair on our First Officers, and will potentially lead to these same First Officers leaving the company,” it said.
ALPA and KM Malta Airlines are locked in a dispute that has led to airline pilots following various directives such as not reviewing flight paperwork outside of work hours and not accepting any roster changes outside those they are contractually obliged to.
When ALPA first announced the directives, it said it was taking action due to disagreements over staff seniority and concerns over the method by which pilots can lose their license due to disciplinary action, among other issues.
But the government claims the dispute centres on something altogether different: the terms of a lucrative early retirement scheme it agreed with ALPA two years ago.
Under that deal, the government is due to pay a collective €74 million in early retirement payouts to KM Malta Airline pilots over the next three years. Payouts will range from €600,000 to €900,000 each.
The government says ALPA wants to extend that golden handshake deal to allow eligible pilots – among them union officials - to avail of it beyond its current 2028 expiration date.
Finance Minister Clyde Caruana has accused the union of acting like a greedy bully and vowed he will “not budge an inch”.
ALPA, which has ignored media questions about the early retirement scheme, said on Saturday that it had chosen to ignore the media to ensure passenger safety.
“A pilot’s job is not about sensational stories - it is about being humble, keeping calm, composed and facing challenges continuously. While media articles were coming out in July, KM Malta Airlines pilots were flying, taking care of thousands of people coming to visit our beautiful islands daily. ALPA felt that replying to those articles would potentially compromise safety - and we will never do that,” it said.