Updated 4.29pm with Malta International Airport CEO comment

The head of civil aviation has flagged "safety" concerns over long lines at the airport's arrival lounge caused by COVID-19 checks.

Charles Pace urged the authorities to rethink the system in place to avoid chaos during the upcoming busy season.

"If we're going to stop every person flying in to scan all the documents, from a capacity point of view we could even encounter a safety issue. And this is where I come in.

"The last thing I need as a regulator at the airport are queues all over the place that spread out onto the apron," Pace said.

Pace was answering questions by Times of Malta following reports of chaos at the airport arrivals lounge as those flying in were forced to queue to have their COVID-19 documentation verified.

Similar calls have been made by airport CEO Alan Borg, who has gone a step further and asked the authorities to lift all travel-related restrictions.

He repeated the calls again on Thursday, saying Malta's travel requirements and checks are "some of the most inconvenient and unfriendly in all of the European Union". 

"Are we really going to risk missing out on another summer season?" Borg asked. "What are we waiting for?"

On Thursday, Pace insisted he was not asking the authorities to do away with the measures, but instead find solutions that protect people's safety while also keeping the industry running smoothly, something that is crucial at a recovery stage. 

He added that since the vast majority of people in Malta have been administered a COVID vaccine booster, the authorities might want to consider not checking the documents of those who live on the island since they would likely be fully vaccinated.

Pace made the comments during a press conference by Ryanair. 

'Reconsider the measures' - Malta Air CEO

Malta Air CEO David O'Brien noted that while it was not his place to tell the authorities what to do, he still believed it was time to "reconsider" the measures. 

"If you are a potential tourist from the UK and so on, and you're confused about Malta but clear about Spain, you'll probably go to Spain because you don't want to take the risk. 

"Let's face it, there are quite a few people who would like to go to the Mediterranean as they like Mediterranean climate but are largely indifferent as to which country they go to," he said. 

O'Brien noted that Malta lags behind in terms of traffic recovery rates when compared to other countries in the southern Mediterranean region. However, he said he was confident that people will be travelling to Malta in the coming weeks. 

"We've launched 62 routes and put a lot of capacity into Malta. Barring further external shocks, we are confident we will hit a peak that is deliverable," the CEO said.