The pilots' union has filed a judicial protest attempting to hold Air Malta and the government responsible for "the illegalities that tainted" the company’s decision to terminate the employment of 69 pilots and demote 31 captains.

ALPA said in a statement that the government is also being asked to honour contractual obligations found "in a number of agreements" entered into by the union, former minister Konrad Mizzi and Minister Edward Zammit Lewis.

Through these agreements, the association's members were given job guarantees and provided with assurances that their conditions of employment would be preserved until the signing of a new collective agreement, ALPA said.

"ALPA is disappointed that the government opted not to participate in the discussions preceding the termination of employment of our members, despite various requests by the association.

"It is also unfortunate that a cluster of individuals at the higher tiers of the management of the company, hand-picked by the current administration, have opted to trample on workers’ rights and conditions of employment."

The government, it added, was "well aware" of the fact that ALPA had "persistently reaffirmed" its intention to do its utmost to contribute to the growth of the local aviation sector.

It was disheartening, it said, that "such irregularities have necessitated direct action against the government in order for our members’ legal and contractual rights to be respected".