PN’s first missile at the new airline
Barely had KM Malta Airline’s first flight touched down at Catania’s Fontanarossa airport that the PN had fired its first missile towards it, just as they had done 50 years earlier with the inauguration of Air Malta. At that time, they used to refer to Air Malta’s aircraft as “birds of lead” (għasafar taċ-ċomb). And they used to fly with other airlines instead of using Air Malta.
This time, the PN’s first missile was aimed at the board of directors of KM Malta Airlines.
They latched on to a story in Times of Malta about a wise decision made by KM Malta Airlines to waive the necessity that new cabin crew must be proficient both in spoken and written Maltese.
The PN made it seem as if all cabin crew members could end up not being able to communicate in Maltese with Maltese passengers.
As the board has already explained, 80 per cent of KM Malta Airlines’ passengers are foreign, many of whom may not be able to communicate with cabin crew members in English, let alone Maltese.
So what’s wrong in having, say, one cabin crew member who can speak, besides English, another foreign language, such as Polish, for example, on flights to Poland? Or French on flights to France? Or German on flights to Germany?
I believe the decision is a wise one because the new airline would possibly be offering a new service other airlines may not be providing – communication in most of the passengers’ own language.
Apart from this, such a waiver can open up a wider market to recruit experienced staff.
The board has already made it clear there will always be Maltese speaking staff on all its flights.
In order to dispel any lingering doubts of those who may have been influenced by the PN’s irresponsible criticism, perhaps KM Malta Airlines’ board can consider including the condition that new foreign applicants must be able to communicate also in basic Maltese, say, within one year from becoming a cabin crew member.
Lessons in basic Maltese can surely be organised by the airline.
What I found really funny in the PN’s crocodile tears for the Maltese language is that this is the same party which, historically, used to define the Maltese language as the language ‘of the kitchen’.
And used to keep the minutes of the PN’s executive committee meetings in Italian. Not even in English, let alone Maltese. Eddy PrIvITErA – Naxxar