Malta’s new national airline, KM Malta Airlines, has dropped the Maltese language as a requirement for its staff because it expects "more than 80 per cent" of its customers to be foreign, according to the airline spokesperson.
After 50 years in operation, Air Malta packed its bags and was replaced by KM Malta Airlines which flew its maiden flight to Catania, Sicily, on Sunday morning.
The Sunday newspaper Illum reported that KM Malta Airlines will not require applicants for cabin crew positions to speak Maltese, unlike its predecessor, where cabin crew were required to speak and write both English and Maltese.
A KM Malta Airlines spokesperson told Times of Malta its decision to not make the Maltese language a requirement for its cabin crew reflected the reality of the passengers who will be boarding their flights.
“It is expected that more than 80% of customers flying on KM Malta Airlines will not be Maltese nationals and it was therefore considered that knowledge of written and spoken Maltese should no longer be considered as a mandatory requirement for employment,” she said.
The spokesperson said currently all cabin crew have knowledge of the Maltese language. She added that safety and other messages on all KM Malta Airline flights will still be made in Maltese and English.
"Within a cabin crew operating team of 4-5 staff, KM Malta Airlines will always have crew who have good knowledge of spoken Maltese, but the airline may on certain routes, decide to enhance its in-flight language skillset for the benefit of its many foreign customers.”
The spokesperson explained this is a "trend" seen across the wider hospitality forum in Malta, as tourism and hospitality markets gear themselves toward service standards for important tourist segments that visit the island.
"As the National airline, KM Malta Airlines is totally committed to adopt the Maltese language as its first language and together with Il-Kunsill Nazzjonali Tal-Ilsien Malti it is developing a clear and updated Language Policy so that bilingualism is standardised throughout its different media of communication as is done by all other airlines”.
The Nationalist Party was one of many to criticise the decision to drop the requirement for cabin crew to speak Maltese, stating the decision was "shameful".
PN MEP David Casa also commented on the decision in a Facebook post.
"A Maltese airline that discarded the Maltese language," he said. "I eagerly wait for the theatrics of Labour MEPs in front of the concerned ministry."
Independent MEP candidate Arnold Cassola also took a dig at KM Malta Airlines.
"Mind your language," Cassola wrote, referring to the British comedy by the same name. He said a number of international airlines abroad require their staff to speak the language of their country.
"ITA requires their staff to speak Italian, Lufthansa requires theirs to speak German, Air France requires theirs to speak French," Cassola wrote.
"But we special, ħi: no Maltese required."
The airline's announcement comes days after the government launched its €475 skills pass non-EU workers will need to apply for to work in the tourism sector.