20 comments so far.FAA questions the long-term benefits of a new airstrip to Gozo
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Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar in a statement today said that it appreciates Gozitans’ need for improved accessibility, “that is why it had proposed free preferential ferry-boarding for bona-fide Gozo residents.”
“The plans to create a new airstrip at Xewkija need to be studied in the light of long-term benefits to Gozo. Given that both the helicopter and the seaplane services to Gozo have failed.”
FAA added that “before sacrificing more green area only to have the airstrip shut down after a few years, the project should be accompanied an independent feasibility study prior to being processed by MEPA.”
It needs to be recognised that this service will be of limited benefit to Gozo’s residents, most of whom need to cross to Malta with their vehicles. “Realistically the cost of such a service would be out of reach of students or regular commuters,” FAA said.
The NGO asked, “will extending the runway for private light aircraft to give flying lessons add to Gozo’s economy? Has the noise pollution that the airstrip will generate been quantified? Located close to the airstrip site, Gozo’s only 5-star hotel markets itself on the strength of its ‘tranquil surroundings’. What impact will a busy airstrip close to this hotel have on Gozo’s tourism?”
It also questioned, what the loss would be to Gozo in terms of destruction of valuable agricultural land and “the ruination of yet another of Gozo’s iconic landscapes by the creation of new service roads and large buildings to service the airstrip?”
FAA pointed out that The airstrip is just 185m from the Grade 1 scheduled monument of the military tower of Torri ta’ Santa Cilja and less than 100 metres from the Grade 1 protected chapel of St Cecilia, the medieval chapel still existing in Gozo. “Such buildings would have an irreversible impact on the unspoilt vista of this rich heritage area which is a Neolithic buffer zone and also a bird sanctuary.”
Given that the scenic ferry crossing only takes 30 minutes, how many tourists would be likely to pay more for a shorter crossing by light plane? FAA asked, “would there be an actual increase in tourists visiting Gozo and a commensurate increase in employment in the tourist sector, or would it ultimately put off tourists seeking a holiday in a quiet unspoilt destination?”
“Failure to carry out such studies would reinforce public perception that the overriding benefit of this airstrip project would be to the contractor who wins the tender to build it.”
FAA stated that, “Gozo’s economy relies heavily on its attraction as an unspoilt, tranquil tourist destination. This image is already being tarnished by the heavy traffic, growing air pollution and increasing development activity in Gozo.”
“Major developments in green areas have an irreversible impact, therefore anything that could potentially affect Gozo’s fragile environment and economy needs to be studied very carefully in order to avoid long-term damage,” FAA concluded.
As a regular visitor to Gozo and being well aware of the limitations of the ferry in bad weather, I recommend a comparison with the island of Alderney in the Channel Islands and its airport, which is largely considered as an essential link.
I am a resident of Gozo and In the last 18 months there has, to my knowledge, only been one spell of a few hours when the ferry did not run.
To say a runway and light aircraft service is necessary for general transport purposes is nonsense, regular commuters and locals would not be able to afford it. A far better option would be a fast passenger ferry from Gozo to Valletta.
I may be wrong but I don’t think Alderney has a frequent ferry service, as we have, so air transport may be more viable, but I doubt if planes are used by commuters or locals on a regular basis.
My own view is that neither a bridge nor a tunnel should be built as either would be the death of Gozo.
Direct ferries to and from Valletta and a deep water harbour would provide what is needed without spoiling the island.
@Mick C. Nothing new here Mick. The problem is that a fast foot-only passenger ferry with singular or possibly multiple stops would seriously undermine the viability of the existing ferry service. Does the Government have the guts to provide the subsidy?
This service would provide easier access to many Gozitans who work or just day-trip to Malta. It would also reduce the ‘cattle-run’ of
tourists who are herded through Cirkewwa loaded and unloaded endlessly on various buses to enjoy the perceived attraction/interest whether it be another pile of stones or craft stalls selling items originating in the Far East. Their wallets most violated on the Malta side where they paid for their day trip rather than in Gozo where they purchased that lousy t-shirt.
New car park and foot only terminal. Radical re-thinking of integrated transport services on both islands. Decide whether Gozo should trade as staycation or daycation? cg.
The fast hydrofoil service that used to run Sliema-Valletta-Gozo and vice-versa years ago was an excellent and well patronised service. Feeder transport could then ferry commuters as far as Bulebel, with the return trips timed to coincide with the end of the working day, say 4,5 and 6pm. The popularity of the service when we had far fewer tourists would indicate financial viability now, while removing so many cars from the Cirkewwa – Sliema – Marsa roads would make this a hugely environmental option.
Yes agree, no bridge or tunnel its Gozo committing suicide;-
– bring the jobs to Gozo
– improve the ferry service (with the ferries built in Malta)
It is necessary to improve the service between Gozo and Malta for the Gozitan people who commute daily and as others have stated this can only be achieved through a better ferry service. There have been numerous studies carried out regarding a fixed wing service between the islands and all came to the same conclusion that it could never be financially sustainable. It would be no use to the local people and as for tourists like myself I would rather use the ferry than have the tranquillity of the island spoiled by light aircraft taking off and landing all day.
The ideas of lengthening the already existing runway for the purpose of recreational flying is a great idea. A flying club on the island will add to its image and economy. If the airstrip was limited for recreational purposes it shouldn’t be as bother. The hotel (which isn’t so near) may even have a few guests fly in from Europe. I had a friend fly over in a single engine Piper from England a couple of years ago. If we had a strip on Gozo he could have avoided Malta altogether and saved two hours + in transfer time..
@Astrid Vella.
Thank you Astrid. That service must have been a few years back now but could be exactly what is needed. cg.
@Astrid continued: Viability of the fast service is beyond doubt. What effect it would have on the Gozo Ferry income is another matter. The car decks are well used but may rely on foot passenger fares to supplement the operating costs. If that income is lost then either the vehicle fares increase or the Government pays a subsidy.
Whatever………..but please do it soon. cg.
To all of you The bridge and the tunnel will not happen mark my words because everyone knows that it is not financially viable
Astrid your comment makes sense because that is what we need here in Gozo
Don`t listen to all those that saythat the runway extension will solve some problems because it will be a white elephant .
We were promised the we will have a fast ferry service between Mgarr and Sliema . What has happened???
What sets Gozo apart from other Med resorts is the fact that it is unspoilt which is a rarity. Lose that uniqueness and you lose the tourists. Then what is left? An island depending on your Maltese cousins to spend weekend breaks in Gozo which won’t sustain your economy. Think hard before you spoil what you have. Once spoiled -there is no going back.
Joseph, I’m not even convinced Gozo can be called unspoilt any more. With all the building that’s been going on recently, it’s really on the brink and faces stiff competition from genuinely unspoilt islands in the Aegean. The Gozitan Chamber of Commerce should really go and visit such places before they voice themselves in favour of more nails in their own coffin.
Astrid agree re the Chamber but I still think Gozo is still unspoilt. Unfortunately however, there can be a conflict of interests for some people on what is best for Gozo and what is best for themselves financially.
Gozo is not unspoiled as some people want to think. Have a look around you, especially between Mgarr and Rabat and all you see is cars and trucks belching smoke and a lot of extremely noisy exhaust pipes, not to mention that a lot of drivers use their horn every ten seconds, it’s not exactly peaceful and serene.When will the law be applied to these drivers, they make us look like a third world country.
I have to agree with Astrid Vella here. I have been a regular visitor to Gozo for many years now and I have noticed the changes that have taken place. It’s no longer the beautiful unspoilt island that it once was and to be honest we can’t really expect that as the island has a right to improve and that means change rather than staying like some little fairytale place for tourists. However it is possible for such change and improvement to take place whilst retaining as much as possible of the charm of the island and that is the balance that must be sought after. Turning the island into a landing strip for anyone with a light aircraft will me a massive step in the wrong direction and will in my opinion damage the tourist trade to Gozo. As Astrid points out there are many places for tourists to go now where they really appreciate what they have and strive not to spoil it.
James, I never fail to be amazed by the pride that some islanders take in keeping their islands intact and unspoilt, also because they know that their livelihood depends on it. Lipari is far more distant from the mainland than Gozo, and serves a cluster of 8 Aeolian Islands, including Panarea, a millionaire’s playground, but there’s no talk of airstrips to fly in their upper-class tourists, who want it to remain exclusive. But they are committed to quality and ecology, unlike Gozo.
Light aircraft won’t be flying in and out all day long. Also the airstrip is geographically located so as to cause minimum noise and negative effect. I get cheesed off with people who don’t live on the island telling the islanders what is good for them. All this is just to preserve their holiday experience. If they don’t like it then go somewhere else. Or move here and then see how you feel. Progress in many respects is inevitable and OK. What is unacceptable is the amount of rubbish tipped everywhere, the hunting nuisance and property developers building apartments everywhere that remain as shells. Will James and Astrid be critical of our new bowling alley because it might encourage some form of intemperance that might negatively affect some tourist sensitivities? Shall the roads remain unimproved to maintain that rustic oldie world feel? For god sake’s, you visitors, allow us residents to improve ourselves. It is the 21st centuary.
George I agree that the rubbish all over the place is a problem but guess what, it isn’t being dumped by tourists or even Maltese over for the weekend, it is being dumped by locals who seem to have no pride in their island. I also agree that the shell form apartments are spoiling the place, and indeed some have remained that way for all the years I’ve been coming. I also agree that the hunting situation needs to be dealt with as these people strut about the countryside like they own the place sticking their little cardboard ‘private’ signs all over the place. But please George can you explain to me how an airstrip is going to improve the lives of the Gozitan people? Are the workers who travel to Malta every day going to use it? No because it would be too expensive. Are the students travelling to school going to use it? No because it would be too expensive. So I guess that leaves tourists like myself, are we going to use it? Personally no, because I won’t support something that is damaging the tranquillity of the island. So who exactly is going to use this fixed wing service George? Yes you will get a few business people or well off tourists who will use it but not enough to make it financially sustainable and that has always been the issue when the idea was looked at in the past. So the service would close down in a short space of time leaving a concrete scar which I can assure you would become a playground for anyone with a light aircraft. In your opening sentence you state that ‘Light aircraft won’t be flying in and out all day long.’ What makes you think that? So in conclusion George I agree that improvements for the Gozitans need to take place but unless you can convince me otherwise I can’t imagine a fixed wing service between the islands as an improvement.
James,
I don’t think you get my point. I don’t believe lengthening the runway to the degree that is talked about will be sufficient for ANY commercial operations. The runway and facilities for that would extend to three quarters of the island, including the demolition of Victoria. People are too emotive on this subject. The current strip after all was just for helicopters. I think it would be just large enough for private pilots enjoying the opportunity to visit the island. Four seat single engine prop planes or microlights (within safety limits). Even they would be restricted by space to park. There would only ever be limited room, so landings as I see it would be ‘prior permission required.’ I.e. one would have to contact the airstrip in advance to ensure there will be enough space to land and park up for visitors and the rest would be drop in to pick up individuals for lessons or sightseeing. We ARE only talking about Private Flying here, not full blown commercial exploitation. If that were the case I’d agree with you totally. I am just saying that it would be wonderful for folk in Gozo to experience private flying and be picked up for lessons or sightseeing and for others to visit the island in their hire or personal light aircraft pre booked. It would be a really small operation. I used to fly but can’t afford it now and I think it would be great for Gozitans to have this on their doorstep. Commercial NO. Pleasure and learning Yes. As for noise and pollution? Belinda Green is quite correct. The noise and carconagenic fumes emitted by lorry’s, pickups, motorcycles and cars are terrible here and getting worse but a few well serviced (because they have to be) light aircraft would create nothing near the health and annoyance risks of what roams around unchecked on the ground. Take care and I agree with many things you say.