Valletta, July 24: Airlines flying to Malta on Wednesday ridiculed a decision to close the island's only airport three times a day because of nearby fiesta fireworks. The closures coincide with the peak tourist season. Some 1.1 million tourists visit Malta every year, accounting for a quarter of the Mediterranean island's gross domestic product.
Air Malta chairman Lawrence Zammit said that the move was "crazy" and urged authorities to get their priorities right.
Alitalia station manager Francesco Zammarelli said the decision, in effect since Saturday and expected to last until Sunday, was "shameful and ridiculous."
The airport is closed for about an hour three times a day because of fireworks being let off to mark feasts of patron saints in towns close to the flight path of landing aircraft.
The move followed a complaint by an Air Malta captain that he had a "close encounter" with a petard.
Transport Minister Censu Galea, who said he had been unaware of the arrangement, said the situation was unacceptable and that he hoped measures would be taken to rectify it. Bureau Report