Who exactly needs an airstrip in Gozo? – Readers Letter
- An airstrip is a non-starter for tourism – Readers Letter
- The pros and cons of an airstrip in Gozo – Lesley Kreupl
- bmibaby start new route next May from MIA to East Midlands Airport
- Microlight aircrafts tested at the Gozo helipad
- EasyJet and Vueling operate first scheduled flights to Malta
- Lack of Airfield services exposure – Readers Letter
- Air Malta stops direct flights to Glasgow
- MIA passenger movements increased by 21.9% in March
- Air Malta registers a strong winter performance
- Mobile Phones On Board Air Malta Aircraft
- Air Malta flies to Liege due to Brussels strike
- The rape of Gozo – Readers Letter
- Outstanding response to Air Malta’s Winter Sale
- MIA announces increase in passengers for January
- MIA registers 2.5% increase in passenger movements
On Saturday Roderick Abela, secretary of the Aero Club Malta in Birkirkara wrote in the Times about the unfeasibility of the Gozo airstrip in the sea idea as proposed by Fr Mark Cauchi and once again put forward the idea of an extension to the present heliport. When I first came to Gozo I fell in love with the island because of its peace and tranquillity, which translates as no noisy planes taking off, and landing all day. Now people seem determined to destroy that peace and tranquillity along with more of the ever-diminishing environment on the little island.
The ‘effective and feasible compromise between sustainable development and environmental considerations,’ which Roderick Abela alluded to, only comes into play in a situation where it is imperative that an airstrip is built. This however is not the case on Gozo. He goes on to mention not just transfer aircraft from Malta International Airport but also ‘International’ flights. As if that isn’t bad enough he neglects to mention the hordes of smaller private aircraft, which would be buzzing around like a swarm of hornets.
And who exactly needs this airstrip? In a nutshell the privileged few who can afford to use it. As for the pie in the sky figures supplied by Mr. Abela they are just that, pie in the sky. He talks about a small airline employing 39 persons based on Gozo and operating three 19 seat DHC-6 Twin Otter aircraft with the potential to transport 83,000 passengers annually between Malta and Gozo plus another 74,000 passengers to "international" destinations.
Does he really believe that 227 passengers a day would be fighting to get on a transfer flight from Malta to Gozo? This would mean 12 flights a day if we assume that all the 19 seat aircraft would be full. That however would either mean that some incoming passengers would have to wait until all the seats had been taken or the necessity to put on even more flights.
According to Mr. Abela however this small airline would also have to contend with another 11 flights catering for international destinations, again assuming that all the seats are filled. So since all the aircraft which leave have to return we are looking at something in the region of 50 take-offs and landings a day from a little island measuring about 9 miles by 4 miles without taking into account all the private traffic. So much for peace and tranquillity and an eco Gozo concept!
I doubt if the majority of Gozitan people would want this disruption on their little island, and speaking as a tourist I know I certainly wouldn’t. Enough of Gozo has been destroyed already without contemplating even more. If you destroy the one thing that people come to the island for, peace and quiet, whom exactly will you have left to transfer?
James A. Tyrrell,
County Antrim,
N. Ireland
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I could not find any reason why the helicopter service was not re-introduced .
Has anyone made a study in regards the fertile land that it will destroy forever. I have seen articles written in the local newspapers saying that area is very fertile land in regards growing potatoes
The other one is nobody seems to mention that Dr Joseph Muscat managed to get special funds to subsidise the helicopter
At this I have to well done to Mr Tyrrell for writing such an informative and detailed report .
Hope the local authorities will take notice before it is too late
Mr.Tyrrell I very much disagree with you. As a Gozitan myself and living abroad I love coming back to Gozo …My HOME…..When I land in Luqa I dont want to spend hours waiting to get to my island of Gozo so I would be very much in favour of some kind of quicker connections other than a taxi and a ferry.
I have used the helicopter before which reduced my travelling time enormously.
Gozo has not been destroyed by transportation but by the minority of people who don’t give a dam about it.
Bring back the helicopter again and give the gozitans abroad a quicker way in getting HOME.
You can always go back to live in Ireland if you don’t like noises in Gozo.
Aitken
Scotland
Aitken J, I have also used helicopter, and I recall that its schedule has not been helping to save time, compared to taxi + ferry that takes me from airport to Mgarr in 1.5-2 hours, depending on whether flight arrival matches the ferry schedule; helicopter, including waiting time, usually took the same. Looking from practical point of view, as someone who lives on Gozo and travels abroad frequently, my priorities would be: 1. coordinating ferry schedules with flights, and probably introducing a smaller passenger-only ferry at higher frequency in the late evenings and throughout the night at extra cost, if needed, so one does not need to wait hours on arrival to Cirkewwa + a collective direct shuttle between Cirkewwa and Airport without a need to leave 2 or more hours for the 45 min trip as now with maltatransfers, also coordinated ad hoc with ferry, so one does not need to look at closing ramp being 30 sec late and wait for next ferry; 2. decent facilities and better access to ferries in Cirkewwa for 24 hours (not necessarily as expensive as the one in Mgarr). If we could check-in and deliver luggage at Mgarr terminal to at least Air Malta and major airlines such as Lufthansa, it would be a dream.
As Mr. Tyrrell pointed out Mr. Abela’s statistics are merely ‘pies in the skies’ and totally unrealistic.
I agree that it would be convenient to have an air-shuttle service from Luqa to Gozo, however, a commercial venture – even a fixed wing one – would only be viable if it was heavily subsidised. As mentioned in other letters and comments I have made, I feel that it is grossly unfair for the people of Gozo and Malta to have to subsidize flights for tourists who can afford the price and business people whose flights are tax-deductible anyway!
Scheduled fixed-wing flights on this island would completely destroy what remains of the tranquillity of the island. Noise pollution caused by road traffic and the building industry is already severe and the limited number of sport planes that presently drone around the island are a pain in the butt and an infringement on one’s privacy!
Sightseeing flights might be enjoyable for the people who are ‘in the air’, but are just a nuisance factor for those who are on the ground.
Aitken J, I have read, but not confirmed, that a helicopter transfer/charter now exists for 65 euro per person (I assume one-way) perhaps you could contemplate using this in future.
However’s comment about a passenger only ferry is very valid and should be looked into.
I prefer the ferry anytime, but I wish the Gozo Channel schedules would accomodate those passengers that arrive late at the MIA. For example I travel a lot to London and back and sometimes I have to come back with the evening flight which arrives in Malta at 00.40. If I manage to get a taxi we will race to catch the last ferry at 01.45 and how many times have I seen the ferry bridge being drawn, which means a two and half hour wait at Cirkewwa terminal for the 04.15 ferry. Surely Gozo Channel and MIA can talk to each other and come to some understanding regarding time shedules of the ferries
By the way a new helicopter serice started http://heli-link-malta.com but at €65 one way and €105 return I like the ferry more and more
Can I just say Aitken J that in the past I have used the helicopter also for transfer to Gozo and as However pointed out it was no quicker than taking the taxi and ferry as I do now. Granted the actual transfer was quicker, approximately 15 minutes but it’s not as if it was sitting there waiting for you to arrive from Scotland or Ireland and jump onboard.
I back you 100% in your call for the helicopter service to be brought back. This was the perfect transfer method from Malta to Gozo for those who could afford it. I also think that However made some very valid points regarding a better thought out transfer system from the ferry to the airport, and better harbour facilities at the Malta side.
Don’t you agree Aitken J that the most important thing is to protect the island from further destruction and noise pollution not just for tourists like myself but also more importantly for the Gozitan people? Surely the occasional ferry crossing when you come home is a small price to pay for that.
@Roy Perry. “A shortfall in access which is affecting tourism, business and their own lives.” Care to elaborate on this Roy? The whole lure of Gozo is its peace and tranquillity. Your plan is to destroy that. How will that help tourism?
And please Roy stop trying to go for the sympathy vote by bringing in the sick relative scenario. Are you seriously saying that the plane would be sitting there waiting for a call from someone regarding his or her sick granny? It may be an alternative way of getting to the airport but it certainly wouldn’t get you there any quicker. I’ve used the helicopter in the past so I know.
“The demand for the helicopter service reached 50,000 a year.” Wow! That’s 137 a day Roy. Certainly wasn’t any day I was ever there! You would think with such a demand the helicopter would still be operating wouldn’t you?