An eight-aircraft airline, such as KM Malta Airlines, is “really not big enough to be able to survive as an independent airline in the modern industry”, Ryanair CEO Michael O’Leary told The Malta Independent on Sunday.
With Ryanair basing nine of its 630 aircraft in Malta starting this winter, that means that Ryanair’s Malta base is bigger than the entirety of KM Malta Airlines. Ryanair wants to see KM survive, but he remarked that “old legacy airlines” across Europe with a “high cost-base and high fares” are failing.
The Ryanair CEO said that what needs to be done is for a company like Lufthansa to be encouraged to invest in or acquire KM Malta Airlines. This would provide it with a better long-term partner.
With direct long-haul flights from Malta to New York set to launch in 2026, O’Leary was asked if these new flights may have any effect on Malta Air or Ryanair business, as well as if there is any intention for the airline to go long-haul.
“No,” he replied, though he added that the new flights are a “very welcome development”. Direct access from New York to Malta can only be a benefit to the Maltese economy.
He said that he thinks one of the historic challenges for Malta was the lack of direct flights, which is something that Ryanair has fixed in the last decade. “We’re trying to kind of flatten that visitor curve,” he remarked, as he spoke of how Malta has historically been very busy in the months of June, July, and August, but has lacked throughout the rest of the year.
Asked about protests and movements against over-tourism, O’Leary said that people recognise and welcome tourists in major tourist areas such as Barcelona, Palma, and also Malta. He thinks the real area of contention is that of accommodation, “when locals can’t access apartments and can’t find accommodation for themselves because the owners or landlords are selling it on Airbnb… That causes tension, and that causes friction”.
“I think everybody accepts, even in Malta, that we need more tourism, but we need more tourism in winter… We, together with the tourism authorities and the government, need to continue to grow visitor numbers during the winter, but we recognise that there is a challenge during the summer,” he stated.
O’Leary said that he thinks one of the big problems in summer is cruise ships, which he said “dump thousands of people here for less than one day”.
Asked if he still believes drug use by airline passengers is a problem, he said that objectionable behaviour by passengers is on the rise. He said that Ryanair occasionally has to divert aircraft for safety reasons when the behaviour of some passengers represents a safety threat.
The Ryanair CEO suggested that the amount of alcoholic drinks should be limited to two per passenger before a flight. He remarked that if duty-free purchases are limited, then alcohol consumption can be limited as well.
Credits: Ryanair
