Air Malta's finance chief quits over rumoured strategy disagreements

Air Malta’s top financial officer left the airline amid divergences between senior management members and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi over the airliner’s future, the Times of Malta is informed. Air Malta sources said the departure of German Klaus Gossler, who previously also worked for British Airways, gave more credence to reports of serious misunderstandings between the management and “heavy-handed” orders from above. Civil aviation industry sources said it was not yet known what exactly led Mr Gossler to leave, adding that one would have expected his three-year contract to be renewed, especially given the crucial time the airline was facing. “It seems top management is getting very edgy when faced with the orders coming directly from the Tourism Ministry on how Air Malta should carry out its day-to-day operations. They are too heavy-handed and it seems the airline is being directly controlled by Konrad Mizzi,” the sources remarked. Times of Malta was told that decisions were being communicated to the airline via Paul Sies, the chief commercial officer hired last year. According to the sources, Mr Gossler was one of the top managers critical of what is going on, particularly...