Economy Minister Silvio Schembri has piled pressure on Air Malta pilots to sign a new deal with the beleaguered airline, following the “big sacrifices” made by cabin crew. 

The government on Thursday signed an agreement with cabin crew which waived all rights given to them under a 2016 collective agreement.

Thursday's deal with cabin crew means the pilots' union is the last to hold out on taking pay cuts as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, which has halted all tourist movements. 

Schembri said during a press conference that as a result of the deal reached, no cabin crew jobs would be lost. 

As part of the agreement, cabin crew will be paid according to the hours flown, rather than receiving a guaranteed take-home pay regardless of the hours actually worked, Schembri said. 

The minister said Thursday’s signing had helped “unchain” Air Malta from past agreements that had hampered its long-term viability. 

He appealed for pilots to make the same sacrifices being made by all other Air Malta employees. 

The said the choices were stark. Air Malta could either becomes more efficient, reduce the amount of workers on its books or go bankrupt. 

“I do not want any pilots to lose their jobs, as has been the case in other airlines”. 

The minister said he was determined to ensure Air Malta’s operations are sustainable, rather than just brushing the problem under the carpet for others to deal with. 

“It is unacceptable to have Air Malta constantly operating on the brink of failure. For workers to have a job, there needs to be a viable company. These decisions will be appreciated in the future”, he said. 

Air Malta chairman Charles Mangion said the agreement reached with cabin crew was driven by the aim of saving jobs and ensuring Air Malta’s viability given the COVID-19 crisis. 

He reminded that airlines across the globe had closed down, resulting in job losses.