The government’s hopes of an Alitalia deal for Air Malta sink down the plug-hole

And they’re trying to portray it as their decision, to obscure the fact that it was a complete non-starter to begin with: Alitalia wanted Air Malta for free or for a symbolic euro, with Air Malta personnel shifted out of the company. That meant the Maltese government, to save face in the grand Mintoffian tradition, would have shifted the burden onto the state payroll as it did when it sold Enemalta to those Chinese communists.

Never mind – Air China no doubt beckons, now that the prospects for Turkish Airlines are not looking so great, either, what with that tyrant going berserk. And if all else fails, there’s always a fabulous new Jordanian airline called Air Baksheesh.