These are the leading stories in local newspapers this Saturday.

Times of Malta reports that road accidents declined by half during the period of COVID-19 restrictions when compared to last year, but that fatalities shot up.

The newspaper also gives prominence to dissatisfaction within Malta’s cultural sector with government plans to hold open-air cinema screenings in Valletta, just months after the annual Valletta Film Festival missed out on state funding.

The Malta Independent leads with Economy Minister Silvio Schembri insisting that Air Malta will be able to service its post-COVID routes with just half of its pilots, after the airline terminated 69 pilots’ jobs.

The newspaper also speaks to English language schools. They will reopen on July 1 though they say operating at a loss will be “inevitable”.

L-Orizzont reports that the catering sector is seeing a pickup in business, with the Chamber of SMEs saying that bars frequented by Maltese patrons are doing brisk trade.

The newspaper also says that both sides of parliament have until today to submit questions in writing to police commissioner nominee Angelo Gafa’, ahead of a parliamentary grilling. The Opposition has said it will boycott the process.

In-Nazzjon splashes with news at the party executive is meeting to start implementing a series of reforms and changes to the party statute. The newspaper describes it as a “historic moment”.