When one considers that the consultation period about an airport for Gozo lasted all of 22 days one can immediately conclude that this was not meant to be a serious exercise. This was stated by ADPD-The Green Party, spokespersons Dr Ralph Cassar and Luke Caruana, who have submitted the party’s responses to the impact statement presented by the Gozo Regional Development Authority (GRDA).

The ADPD spokespersons listed a number of reasons why an airport for Gozo did not make sense, including:

1. The airport will take up the space equivalent to 11 football grounds. On top of all the unbridled development taking place on this island with the blessing of the authorities, further urbanisation and development is simply unacceptable.
2. It is utterly irresponsible for the authorities to let the area be smothered in construction waste over the years and now use it as an excuse to justify building an airport on the site. The debris can always be removed and the site rehabilitated as an open space.
3. The fact that the project’s economic viability is not sound from the outset means that there will pressure down the line for it to be extended. Similar to the tunnel proposal, the short distances prevailing from the Malta International Airport to Gozo (35km along the main roads) render this project as simply one of prestige without any justification. One can always improve existing transportation methods who can easily absorb any additional passengers on light aircraft. Current fast ferry services from Valletta could be extended to other harbours.
4. It is simply untrue that it will only take 15 minutes to get to Gozo – those already in Malta will need to travel to the airport first and even those incoming from abroad will need to wait for the transfer. The financial value given to the time saved from travelling does not take into consideration other travelling required to and from the airport. It also does not value other means of communication that may be used – such as virtual meetings software and computing and telecommunication systems – that have become basic business set ups nowadays.
5. The mention of direct flights to Gozo from Sicily and other islands raise a red flag indicating that this project is not really aimed to assist Gozitan or Maltese workers and commuters but targets tourism, which is already well catered for by the Malta International Airport. There is no need for tourists to fly directly into their destination, especially considering the extremely short distances between the two islands and the attraction of the boat trip to Gozo itself.
6. All transportation methods can be negatively affected by adverse weather conditions including light aircraft.
7. When it comes to employment, the estimated increase of 48 jobs do not justify the destruction brought about by this project. Even when it comes to the added value to the tourism industry, it is only estimated that this will lead to an additional 5 full time jobs only!
8. The baseless calculations on the reduction in emissions assume that carbon dioxide pricing will remain low and that the current aviation model for short distance travelling will remain acceptable with the European Union at a time of a climate emergency. It is a known fact that aviation emissions are even greater than those of vehicles.

At a time when both within the European Union and across the world discussions are ongoing about the impact of aviation on climate change, the ADPD – The Green Party spokespersons stated that it was ironic that the Maltese government is putting forward an airport proposal – one that is definitely not needed. “There is a wide abyss between the declarations in favour of a better quality of life and improved environment and the lack of vision shown in actual fact. The question remains: who is really going to benefit from this Gozo airport?”

***

Tħares kif tħares, l-ajruport f’Għawdex ma jagħmilx sens

Il-konsultazzjoni dwar ajruport f’Għawdex hija oħra minn sensiela ta’ konsultazzjonijiet finta. Anke l-perjodu tal-konsultazzjoni fih innifsu – ta’ 22 ġurnata – huwa xhieda tan-nuqqas ta’ serjetà ta’ din is-suppost konsultazzjoni. Dawn qaluh il-kellima  ta’ ADPD -The Green Party, Dr Ralph Cassar u Luke Caruana meta għamlu is-sottomissjonijiet tagħhom f’isem il-partit għal ‘impact statement’ ippublikat mill-Gozo Regional Development Authority (GRDA).

Il-kelliema ta’ ADPD elenkew numru ta’ raġunijiet għala il-proposta ma tagħmilx sens tħares kif tħares lejha, fosthom:

1. L-ajruport huwa propost li jkun daqs 11-il ground tal-football. Fi gżira ċkejkna taħt attakk kontinwu minn żvilupp bla rażan bil-barka tal-gvern, aktar urbanizazzjoni u żvilupp  ta’ dan it-tip mhux aċċettabbli. Imur kontra dak li baqa’ mill-miri, injorati u farsa ta’ ‘eco-Gozo’. 
2. L-irresponsabiltà tal-awtoritajiet, li ħallew iż-żona tintradam minn skart tal-kostruzzjoni tul is-snin, m’għandiex tintuża bħala skuża biex tiġġustifika ajruport f’Għawdex. Ir-radam dejjem jista’ jitneħħa u s-sit rijabilitat bħala spazju miftuħ. 
3. Il-vijabilità ekonomika diġa dubjuża tal-ajruport tfisser li se jkun hemm pressjoni biex l-ajruport ikompli jitkabbar wara ftit snin minn meta jibda jopera. Id-distanzi qosra bejn l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta u Għawdex (35 km mit-toroq prinċipali) jrendu dan il-proġett, bħall-ġennata l-oħra tal-mina taħt il-baħar, wieħed ta’ vanità u bla ebda ġustifikazzjoni. Mezzi oħra ta’ trasport eżistenti jistgħu dejjem jitjiebu mingħajr il-bżonn ta’ ajruport. In-numri ta’ vjaġġaturi li ipotetikament jużaw ajruplani żgħar jistgħu faċilment jiġu assorbiti mis-servizzi eżistenti ta’ fast ferry mill-Belt, eventwalment minn servizzi minn portijiet oħra, u mis-servizz ta’ tliet vapuri bejn iċ-Ċirkewwa u l-Imġarr, Għawdex.
4. Mhux veru li l-vjaġġ lejn Għawdex b’ajruplan ikun ta’ kwarta biss. La għal min ikun diġà Malta, għax dak li jkun irid l-ewwel jivvjaġġa sal-ajruport ta’ Malta, u lanqas għal min ġej bl-ajruplan lejn Malta – għax hemm il-ħin tal-istennija fl-ajruport innifsu. Il-kalkolu tal-valur ekonomiku mill-ħin iffrankat fl-ivvjaġġar bejn Malta u Għawdex jinjora kompletament l-ivjaġġar b’mezzi oħra ta’ trasport lejn Malta jew internament lejn l-ajruport ta’ Malta. Tassumi li ‘l-professjonist’ li ipotetikament se juża ajruplan biex imur Għawdex m’għandux mezzi oħra ta’ komunikazzjoni biex jagħmel xogħolu – inkluż affarijiet li illum saru bażiċi – bħal software għar-remote working u sistemi tal-kompjuter u t-telekomunikazzjoni.
5. Il-fatt li r-rapport diġà qed isemmi vjaġġi diretti minn Sqallija u gżejjer oħra lejn Għawdex, diġà jixhed li fil-verità dal-proġett mhux vera li huwa immirat lejn ħaddiema u commuters Għawdxin jew Maltin imma speċifikament għat-turiżmu, li diġà huwa moqdi minn l-ajruport ta’ Malta. Mhux minnu li turisti għandhom bżonn itiru sad-destinazzjoni tagħhom, speċjalment bid-distanza qasir bejn Malta u Għawdex. Il-vjaġġ bejn Malta u Għawdex huwa esperjenza turistika fih innifsu. 
6. Lanqas m’huwa veru li ajruplani, la żgħar u lanqas kbar, jistgħu joperaw f’kull temp. Kull mezz ta’ ivvjaġġar huwa limitat minn fatturi ta’ temp.
7. Is-suppost ħolqien ta’ 48 impjieg ma’ jiġġustifikax il-qerda li se jkompli jġib dal-proġett. Anke s-suppost valur miżjud għall-industrija turistika, m’hu se jġib l-ebda bidla jew titjib ekonomiku tanġibbli għall-ħaddiema, għax ir-rapport jagħti ċ-ċifra ta’ żieda ta’ 5 postijiet ta’ xogħol fulltime biss, fil-lukandi u restoranti. 
8. Il-kalkoli fittizji dwar kemm se jiġi iffrankat tniġġis huma ibbażati fuq l-assunzjoni li l-prezz ta’ tniġġis mill-ossidu tal-karbonju se jibqa’ pjuttost baxx, u li l-avjazzjoni fuq distanzi qosra immens se tibqa’ aċċettata mill-politika Ewropea bħala aċċettabbli fix-xenarju tal-emerġenza tal-klima. Huwa ċar li l-emmissjonijiet mill-avjazzjoni huwa aktar, saħansitra minn dak mill-karozzi. 

Il-kelliema tal-ADPD saħqu li huwa wkoll ironiku li filwaqt li hemm diskussjoni madwar id-dinja u fl-Unjoni Ewropea dwar l-impatti tal-avjazzjoni fuq il-klima, il-Gvern jara kif jivvinta ajruport ieħor fejn mhux meħtieġ. Bil-kliem jgħidu mod dwar l-kwalità tal-ħajja u l-ambjent, iżda bil-fatti juru kemm m’hemmx viżjoni. Il-mistoqsija hija waħda: min ser jibbenefika verament mill-espansjoni ta’ ajruport f’Għawdex?