Probably it’s the best way to go to Gozo so far. After years of dawdling business for the chugging choppers from Russia (in a state which evoked the comic side of Soviet technology), and a failed Spanish attempt, a Canadian-Maltese venture is preparing to fill in the great demand for a fixed-wing service to the sister island.
Harbour Air Malta, operated by Winston Azzopardi and Alfie Manduca and backed by its Canadian parent, has brought together wings, speed and fun for the ultimate trip to Gozo. With a group of journalists aboard the Otter, we arrived at Mgarr harbour in just nine minutes after being propelled out of the magnificent Grand Harbour. No queues of loud holidaymakers, no Santa Marija backwater hillbillies, no exorbitant taxi fees to the airport or Cirkewwa: the seaplane is fast and convenient.
You have to keep in mind that when the Spanish company Helicopteros del Sureste launched its service two years ago, the Lm50 round helicopter trip to Gozo was banking on “quality tourists” yet to come. They never came – not when the return trip cost was as much as a low-fare ticket to London and back.
If there is a reason to take the relatively inexpensive Lm30 return trip to Gozo via Harbour Air’s seaplane, it’s for the view. Discounting the veritable mess at Tigné point, as you leave the Grand Harbour, the seaplane lifts off gently over St Angelo, and right there beneath you are the Three Cities and the heritage of the Knights of the Order of St John in one, compact view.
It’s picture-perfect coastline all along. You would have to contend with the horrible Mount Maghtab which, at little more than a 1,000 feet above ground, is close enough for tourists to wonder what sort of natural swell this could possibly be. In between, it’s a glimpse of the Sliema promenade and the cluster of hotels that appropriate the St George’s peninsula and the Pembroke garigue. Once clear of Maghtab, the seaplane flies by St Paul’s Bay, Mistra, l-Ahrax tal-Mellieha and then right over Comino before arriving at the Mgarr harbour.
The 14-passenger, single-engined Otter itself inspires more confidence than the helicopter journey. It has a smooth take-off from the sea and an effortless lift. The Dehavilland Otter is considered to be the best plane for the job for its thick wings, which generate substantial lift to allow it to get airborne in a matter of seconds. The best part of it is that you will be far too absorbed by the view below by which time you have landed right outside the Mgarr harbour, taxying your way to the floating jetty just off the Gozo Channel quays.
On board with us are three British tourists. They like it so much here, they come almost every year – this time round, they have taken the seaplane just to have lunch at the Gleneagles. Three hours later, they will be catching the next flight to Malta.
Captain Darrel Hanson has flown the Otter from Canada, where in the smaller Victoria harbour, Harbour Air operates even more seaplanes. From there, he flew to the Arctic and then on to Greenland and down through Europe. With such a plane, it is no wonder that Winston Azzopardi, one of the directors of Harbour Air in Malta, is planning to extend their services to other destinations in Sicily, and even to Capri and Rome. At present the Otter does three trips to Gozo a day and three scenic trips. Eventually the Gozo trips will double. Located at the Valletta waterfront, the trip will be ideal for cruise passengers arriving at the terminal.
And boarding is easy. You just present your ID card at the check-in where you are given a boarding card. The plane is moored right outside on the end of the Valletta waterfront’s main quay. For businessmen who need to make regular trips to Gozo and back, the seaplane is the only convenient way there is without having to make the two-hour trip between Malta and Gozo. It also offers cargo services and chartered trips. Tourists will not have to contend with exorbitant transport costs to the airport or Cirkewwa any longer – being centrally located in Valletta, the seaplane has managed to hit two birds with one stone.
The only snitch for Harbour Air will be the wind and sea conditions. At Mgarr, in open waters the landing tends to be slightly bumpy. In the Grand Harbour however, it will mean that Harbour Air can concentrate on the scenic trips when weather conditions do not permit the Gozo trip.
Despite being such a boon to the tourist infrastructure, Winston Azzopardi says there were a couple of hitches before being given the green light. The project itself took two years and half before finally taking off: but the company had to contend with the bureaucracy of aviation and maritime authorities which could not decide under whose responsibility the seaplane would fall.
Eventually, a plane ride proved how easy it was for the low-flying seaplane not to have to contend with other aircraft, and how its fast take-off and landing makes it easy to navigate across the water until it reaches the floating quay.
Back onto the plane on our return to Valletta, the Otter gets airborne right before the eyes of the incoming ferry passengers and the landlubbers down below. It’s great to travel in comfort.
“We are confident that soon enough, we will be needing a second aircraft to meet with the demand,” Azzopardi says. “It’s a reliable, convenient and affordable daily service between the islands and it gives passengers a unique experience.”

 

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NEWS | Sunday, 12 August 2007
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