Despite a ban on all commercial flights which came into effect at midnight, Air Malta CEO Capt. Clifford Chetcuti assured the public that Air Malta was doing its part to assist the Government in organizing humanitarian flights.

Such flights are bringing urgent medical supplies and cargo to Malta, “whilst repatriating people to their countries.”

Malta, along with the rest of the world, is grappling with the COVID-19 pandemic. As at 21st March 10.30am, there are 64 cases on the island and around a quarter of a million worldwide. A travel ban on commercial services was imposed to stem the spread of the virus, which originated in China.

Capt. Chetcuti delivered a statement on Friday, explaining the measures being undertaken to ensure the highest standards of hygiene.

“Our commitment and responsibility towards you have never been stronger, as we face, what are, unprecedented times,” the Captain said.

“We are continuously monitoring the ever-changing circumstances and working hard to adapt to the recent developments and how to best serve you. Most importantly, each time, our aim is to keep you safe throughout any flight you take with us,” he added.

He affirmed the priority being given to the health and safety of its employees and customers and that constant contact is being made with local health authorities, while World Health Organisation guidelines and European Union Aviation Safety Agency guidelines are being adhered to.

“Let me also share with you some actions we took during this difficult time:

• We have increased the number of staff in our customer call centre, but even with the added resources they are under pressure to answer everyone’s calls as quickly as we would like.
• We have amended our rebooking policy and will continuously review and update this policy to reflect on-going developments to allow passengers to make changes to their existing travel itinerary, increase future flexibility and facilitate planning.
• We have enhanced the cleaning frequency of the aircraft interiors and are also disinfecting them after operating repatriation flights in-line with established health and safety protocols.
• All our frontline staff have been fully briefed on essential preparatory and prevention measures. These range from hygiene measures such as sanitising frequency to guidelines on how to handle suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19.”

The CEO also highlighted that Air Malta’s airconditioned air in all its aircraft is filtered through “advanced circulation systems and highly efficient filters, which remove particles including bacteria and virus clusters.”

“The efficiency of the aircraft air conditioning HEPA filters is at least 99.97% at 0.3 Micron.

“The cabin conditioning air enters at the top of the cabin and travels vertically downwards to leave at floor level and is designed to prevent longitudinal airflow within the cabin. This air filtration system is also used in hospitals.

“Finally, as a traveller, we ask you to follow the authorities' recommendations, including washing your hands thoroughly with soap and water and avoiding touching your face and staying home as much as possible.”

Air Malta has set up a ‘lifeline schedule’ to facilitate outbound travel for stranded individuals to their home countries, with flights bound for London, Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt and Vienna to start operating from Monday.