Student pilots say they are no longer allowed to learn how to fly in Malta due to restrictions imposed after the closure of a runway at the airport.

The students from three flight schools say the move is costing them an extra €230 an hour in fuel costs as they must travel to Sicily to complete their training.

Last week, Malta International Airport restricted propellor-powered and training aircraft to three days of flying per week following the closure of a runway.

Aviation students say they have also been prevented from practising certain manoeuvres on the remaining runways and are no longer allowed to operate in Malta’s airspace.  

One student said the change had been made with "no consultation". 

“We’re always forgotten. We’ve been complaining for weeks and haven’t gotten anywhere... we’ve had enough,” he said.

In a statement, aviation students from the Malta School of Flying, European Pilot Academy and Aviation South West said the restrictions had caused “significant repercussions” on their training.  

European Aviation Safety Association (EASA) regulations mean they only have a certain amount of time to complete their training.

“The need to travel to Sicily for training exercises not only increases flight time but also incurs additional expenses such as ground handling expenses, impacting our financial situation by thousands of euros”, the students said.   

They said the weather conditions at this time of year also lead to "potential cancellations within the three days of operations we’re authorised to operate in.” 

Training flights are now only permitted to take off from the airport on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays, when they must then fly to Sicily for training.  

Latest restriction

The group says this is the latest in a series of clashes with airport authorities after the Air Traffic Controllers Association in January banned them from practising touch-and-go exercises – where a plane lands then immediately takes off again – and intersection take-offs (taking off without using the full runway). 

The students have called for an end to the restrictions and have started an online petition to garner support. They also questioned who would compensate them for the additional costs incurred.  

Responding to questions, a spokesperson for Malta International Airports said the restrictions were brought in after resurfacing and upgrading works to one of its runways had left it with only one. 

“As with every necessary large-scale project, the works are being carried out with certain impacts on some operations,” the spokesperson said.  

“Given that Malta International Airport is currently operating with a single runway, we were constrained to impose certain restrictions on private aircraft to be able to carry out these extensive works safely,” she said.  

“We regret the inconvenience caused by these temporary arrangements.”   

The works are expected to last until the end of the year and are part of a €14 million investment plan for the airfield, the spokesperson added.