Flimkien ghal Ambjent Ahjar (FAA) yesterday praised the seaplane link to Gozo and said it is running smoothly and providing Gozo with a much-needed air link.

"The authorities' good sense in permitting this form of transport, new for Malta, is paying off on the Gozo run, besides offering a new tourist product in the form of scenic tours with eye-catching take-off and landings in our harbour.

"Just as importantly, the De Havilland DHC-3 Otter has eliminated the need for further loss of agricultural land in the form of an airstrip and further passenger handling facilities on a tiny 14-kilometre by seven-kilometre island like Gozo. As well as providing an essential transport facility for Gozitan tourism, Gozitans have also been relieved of the noisy low flyover approaches over private property that land-based planes cannot do away with," FAA said.

Further to the debate of which form of air transport is most suited to Gozo's needs, FAA said it has been informed that, in adverse weather conditions, land-based planes are affected just as badly as seaplanes, meaning that both types of aircraft are not viable in such conditions.

Source: The Times