An airstrip in Gozo is vital in this day and age, and at Ta’ Lambert most of the infrastructure is already in place. We are talking here of a mere handkerchief’s tract of land, not bigger than 1,000 metres, very near to the cliffs and the open sea. Most of the construction would just be an extension of a road that is already there.
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi announced last June that the Gozo regional committee within the MCESD would draw a report on the Gozo airstrip. The DCA was also commissioned about the matter. Some say its report was favourable with no objections.
Gozo is still missing on upmarket, private fixed-wing aircraft visitors, denying Gozitans of specialised job opportunities in general aviation. An airstrip would certainly put Gozo on the map, having suffered constantly with its double insularity. Gozo would never hinder its Eco Gozo concept just by making this new accessibility available.
It’s tragic that the anti- groups keep on harping on matters that they have no idea about. At the moment this place is serving as a big rubbish dump. An airlink would serve not just tourists, but also the Armed Forces of Malta.
Franco J Scicluna
Victoria, Gozo
Once again the supporters of an airstrip on the island of Gozo are screaming at the government to back such a project. People like Rod Abela, secretary of the Aero Club Malta for example. Once again, according to Rod, the entire future of Gozo lies in the further destruction of land in order to build an airstrip. An airstrip, I remind you, that several international operators have already been consulted on and reached the conclusion that establishing such a link would be financial suicide.
From the point of view of tourism an airstrip is a non-starter for several reasons. First of all, such a development would have to be sustainable, and studies have already concluded that a fixed wing air link between the two islands would not be financially viable unless tourism levels on Gozo reached impossible levels. That means that the development of an air link would create a lot of money for certain developers, it would operate on a shoestring probably being heavily subsidised by the Government or in other words the Maltese public, and it would then close down due to losing money like a sieve.
Other operators would probably try their hand in a similar way to the helicopter link until they too quickly realised that it was a bottomless hole and pull out. Gozo would then be left with another ugly scar on it’s already badly scarred land which no doubt Rod Abela and his chums at Aero Club Malta would continue to use as their own private little airport, which I suspect is the real reason for their enthusiasm in this project.
More importantly, from the tourism point of view, is the fact that the very tourists in whose name this development is being proposed come to the island of Gozo for the peace and tranquility it offers. The same reason many Maltese families come at weekends and holidays. By building an airstrip the peace and tranquility would be destroyed and the tourists would dry up; which again would have a knock on effect with regard to the time frame such a link would operate for before closure.
The government must realise that Gozo attracts tourists because of its unique characteristics. People travel there to soak up its history, it’s beautiful environment, which is continually under attack from developers and the total peace and quiet it offers. A fire needs three things in order to burn; it needs fuel, oxygen and heat. Take away any one of these and the fire will go out. The Government must honour its pledge with regard to an eco-Gozo concept and retain the unique balance of characteristics the island offers. If they begin to play the developers game with regard to an airstrip they will be tampering with the very ingredients, which keep the fire of tourism burning.
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