The Airline Pilot’s Association (ALPA) is in renewed discussions with Air Malta over the future of its pilots, after the latter said it will need to retain 62 pilots – instead of only 26 – as it plans for a four to five-aircraft fleet until the end of summer 2023, with today set as the deadline for the announcement of redundancies.

The revelation came as the pilot's union put pressure on Air Malta's management to explain post-COVID-19 recovery plans.

In tandem, the airline has rejected – without “adequate explanation” - ALPA’s proposal of a 50 per cent pay cut during the COVID-19 pandemic, which had been suggested to minimise the haemorrhage.

“Air Malta has now changed its mind and it (has) informed ALPA that the company requires 62 pilots rather than 26 as originally envisaged, forcing a different form of discussions, just a few days before redundancies take effect," the union explained, saying that it had already had three meetings with the airline’s management.

The new approach is in line with the national airline’s plans for the future, ALPA has been told, in which Air Malta " foresees the need for a four to five-aircraft fleet rather than one to two aircraft as declared barely three weeks ago. This plan extends till the end of summer 2023," ALPA said.

In the meantime, the union noted that its representatives have called for a restructuring plan, within the airline, stating that Air Malta is “very top heavy”, while also claiming that “some elements” in the management team “seem to be intent on having talks fail”, calling the approach taken by the airline “obscene” and “not conducive to a mutually beneficial outcome.”

ALPA also said Air Malta had demanded extensive alterations to the collective agreement – in force until the end of 2022 – and insisted that "the company must not the COVID-19 pandemic as an excuse to undermine” what had already been signed off on.