Visitors to the Malta Aviation Museum, which was brought to its knees by two years of the pandemic, are now facing a new challenge: numerous roadblocks and works.

“It has been a challenging few years and, hopefully, we face the worst now before it improves and gets better,” Ray Polidano, director general of the Malta Aviation Museum Foundation, told Times of Malta.

While it is difficult to establish the precise impact roadworks have had on the museum, Polidano estimates there was a 30 per cent drop in footfall.

Located on the former Royal Air Force airfield in Ta’ Qali and spread over three hangars, it is the only local aviation museum that safeguards and promotes the island’s rich aviation history. Visitors are transported back in time as they experience unique collections of helicopters, aviation memorabilia and airfield ground equipment.

A reader had first flagged the issue in a letter to the editor last month, commenting how the pandemic “nearly broke the back of the Malta Aviation Museum”, noting it is now facing another hurdle due to ongoing roadworks.

The museum, run by a non-profit organisation, took a blow during the coronavirus pandemic when, like many other museums worldwide, it had to close its doors as a safety precaution.

Now that social distancing and face masks are a thing of the past, visitors must face traffic cones, barriers, noise and roadworks on their way to the museum.

Also, the road leading to the nearly 30-year-old museum is a one-way road, due to ongoing works. This means visitors must drive through the crafts village and around the newly built concert area to get to the museum.

“Apart from a stretch of the road being closed, there are also ongoing Enemalta works, laying down new underground cables,” Polidano said.

“Not only is the road a one-way road and blocked at times but, for the past two years, the hop-on hop-off buses have stopped driving through because of these works. Such buses would bring us visitors who would otherwise might not have come to our museum.

“After the pandemic, we have seen a wave of tourists visiting our island but only a small number want to come and see the museum. That is why the hop-on hop-off buses are important.”

While the museum is a small entity, Polidano said its role is significant.

“Aviation is an important chapter in our history and we do our best to preserve it,” he said.

Another factor involving the footfall of visitors is the disturbed bus routes, which are impacted by the ongoing roadworks. He said the bus stop close to the museum is currently closed due to roadworks and tourists must, therefore, walk to and from the bus stop at the entrance of the Ta’ Qali crafts village if they wish to visit the museum.

He said there is little that can be done, other than hope works progress and are completed in time for summer. When he spoke to the contractor handling the project, Polidano was informed all works would be completed by May.

“We are trying to see the light ahead of this very long tunnel.”