Gerald Fenech
Chaos prevailed at Malta International Airport yesterday for yet another day, with hundreds of stranded tourists packing airlines’ information desks in the vain hope that a solution could be found.
But it looks like the situation will persist for at least a few more days as major European airports remain closed to traffic due to the enormous cloud of volcanic ash emanating from last week’s Icelandic eruption.
Yesterday the departures hall at the MIA resembled a waiting area in a third world country with several opting to sleep on the benches or wandering aimlessly bout. Shops and cafeterias were doing a brisk trade as people attempted to grab some nourishment but other workers from the travel industry stared blankly and concern was evident on their faces.
A group of elderly British tourists seemed to be taking the matter in their stride but complained of a general lack of proper service and the fact that ‘passenger rights’ seemed not to exist anymore, as far as airline representatives are concerned.
“We tried to ask around to see what we are going to do next but our flight to Gatwick has been cancelled, and with all the chaos going on here I suppose the best thing to do is go back to our hotel. Still we cannot stay here indefinitely as it will obviously cost us more money, which there isn’t much of a sign we will get back,” one of the tourists said.
Other stranded tourists told MaltaToday that some low cost airlines actually told them that the next available flight on their aircraft which could be reasonably booked was for May 2. They also complained about the rude and gruff quality of service which was generally prevalent at the airport.
“Nobody seems to know how to deal with the situation and the feedback we got when trying to ask for solutions was rather rough, to say the least. Everyone around here seems to be citing that this is an Act of God and so we have no right to any form of compensation.”
Another tourist said that he was sent around the airport for quite a few times with the duty manager simply telling him that nothing can be done and they would have to fend for themselves.
Others were worried about the cost that they would have to bear for hotel charges and other ancillary expenses during their forced stay in Malta.
“We are paying around €70 a night at our hotel but we have friends who are having to pay up to €150 per night at more costlier hotels. This is clearly unsustainable and it seems we have no chance of getting anything back with everyone saying that this is an act of God and there is nothing anyone can do about it”, another irate tourist said.
The general feeling is that the European Union was letting its members down on the situation.
“We are supposed to be members of a club which abides by certain rules and which takes care of its citizens. This is certainly not the case here, with nobody indicating what passenger rights are. It is one whole big mess”, a soft-spoken English tourist told Malta Today.
In the meantime whilst the departure hall was literally packed with people, arrivals was understandably vacant, with the flight information screens indicating the considerable number of cancelled flights. The airport car park, normally quite full and busy, was also pretty much deserted yesterday morning.
The situation does not look like getting any better with the EU now stating that around 15% of available air space will be opened by the time you read this.
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