Plans for a new airport in Gozo make no sense, however one looks at them, and this project would only see benefits for the few to the detriment of the many, the ADPD political party said on Thursday. The government has said it wants to extend the current helicopter pad near Xewija so that it can handle small regional aircraft. ADPD said the consultation period about the airport, at just three weeks, showed this was not a serious exercise. Spokespersons Ralph Cassar and Luke Caruana said the proposed airport would take up the space equivalent to 11 football grounds, making the current situation of unbridled development worse. They said in a statement that it was 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 could be removed and the area rehabilitated as an open space. "The fact that the project’s economic viability is not sound from the outset means that there will be 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...