Minister for Gozo and Planning Clint Camilleri has announced that “in a few weeks the first phase of the tender will be published which will be the levelling of the area where the new Gozo rural airfield will be built.”

The Minister was speaking during the first public discussion meeting for Gozo with the theme Connectivity during which the challenges and opportunities linked to the island’s connectivity and its role in the economic and social development of Gozo were discussed.

He spoke about the plan for the introduction of the first airfield in Gozo, which, he said, will be a new facility that will continue to improve the island’s connectivity and create new opportunities for its development including new tourism niches and connections not only between Gozo and Malta but possibly also with other islands.

Camilleri said that it will be a facility that will be able to attract new investment that has not existed in Gozo so far. ”Through this facility we will also possibly be attracting aviation schools to relocate from Malta to Gozo, as it will provide an opportunity in the areas of drone training and sky diving. All this cannot be done if we do not offer the facility and we will be making that facility.”

Minister Camilleri stated that ”effective connectivity is an essential foundation for the progress of the island. This is because there can be no discussion about the progress and advancement of Gozitan society if priority is not given to connectivity that continues to improve and opens up new horizons for Gozitans and their businesses. Over the past few years, important steps have been taken to strengthen connectivity between the islands.”

The Minister referred to the introduction of the Fast Ferry service, which he described as a game changer in the way people travel between Gozo and Malta. This service today offers a journey of approximately 45 minutes between the Port of Mgarr and Valletta, and has become an important means for workers and students to travel between the islands, he said.

He explained that the Government has always believed in this service and supported it so that it can improve over time. So much so that in the coming weeks it is expected to be further strengthened through new routes that will connect the Port of Mgarr with Bugibba and Sliema, while the existing service between Gozo and Valletta will continue to operate.

Camilleri also spoke about the plan to strengthen the Gozo Channel fleet, through which the fleet will be expanded to five ships. ”This is part of a broader strategy to continue to strengthen maritime connectivity between the islands.”

He stated that better connectivity is also contributing to Gozo ”becoming a year-round tourism destination.” He noted that last year the Ministry for Gozo, together with local councils and various NGOs, organised 326 cultural activities throughout the year. All this is contributing to a substantial increase in tourism, particularly in the months outside the main season.

Regarding the future of the port infrastructure, the Minister explained that a taskforce has been set up that includes various Government entities and the local council to study the future development of the Port of Mgarr.

He added that this taskforce will look at various possibilities, including an expansion of the port and the development of an alternative road, in order to have a clear vision for the future of this strategic area.

Permanent Secretary Mario Borg pointed out that in the Government’s Vision for Malta 2050 Gozo is being recognised as a ”model for sustainable development.” He explained that for the first time an official Government document does not look at Gozo as a region that must catch up with the rest of the country, but as an example of how economic activity can be created that leads to a better quality of life for citizens.

Gozo Regional Development Authority CEO Ivan Falzon also gave a presentation on the Port of Mgarr while Director for Tourism and Economic Development Ronald Sultana gave an overview of the increase in tourism that Gozo has experienced in recent years.

During an intervention by Former Colonel and Pilot Mark Said, he emphasised the importance of Gozo having more than one means of connectivity. He pointed out that without the Port, the island would ”cease to exist, and therefore the more new doors of connectivity are opened, the more opportunities for the island will be strengthened.”

In this context, he mentioned the airfield proposal, which could allow scheduled and inter-island flight services that offer a rapid and efficient means of travel between Gozo and other destinations.

Pilot Aldo Borg also spoke, saying that the airstrip in Gozo could open up new economic sectors for the island. He argued that this project would not only create an alternative means of transport between Malta and Gozo and reduce pressure on the Port, but could also create opportunities for new economic niches, leading to more direct investment and more jobs for Gozitans in Gozo itself.

He also said that an air journey between Malta and Gozo ”could take only about 12 minutes,” compared to sea travel times, and expressed his belief that the airfield could become an important infrastructure for the future of the island.

The meeting served as a discussion platform between representatives of public entities, professionals and stakeholders to discuss ideas and proposals on how Gozo’s connectivity could continue to be strengthened in the coming years.

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File photo: DOI

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