INTERVIEW | Wednesday, 22 August 2007
Entrepreneurs Winston Azzopardi and Alfie Manduca have only just started the new seaplane service that berths at the Valletta Waterfront and flies to Gozo – and the project has gone off to a flying start! They were interviewed by Bianca Caruana
The seaplane is your latest venture: how did you decide to go in for this enterprise?
 Winston Azzopardi: The idea started three years ago. Alfie Manduca and I saw seaplanes being used in Corfu. It was the only company in Europe doing this for fee-paying passengers. We found it to be a great idea for passengers to commune from Malta to Gozo and back. The Harbour Air Canada in Vancouver is the largest seaplane company in the world with over a 100 trips a day on average. We spoke to Greg McDougall from Harbour Air Canada and started the ball rolling about two and a half years ago.
When cruise liners come into the harbour, we tend to have passengers who just want to see our sister island Gozo for a day, and it is the best way for them to avoid all the travelling using taxis and ferries if they do not want to spend hours getting there and back since it only takes an average time of 10-12 minutes to get there with the seaplane.
Alfred Manduca: We have been in operation now for about four weeks. It took a while to convince authorities in seeing how manoeuvrable the plane is. It does not take much space or time and so should not disturb the regular on-going traffic with just a requirement of 100 metres to land. We took the authorities on a flight and proved how safe it actually is and they agreed to it all.
Tour operators are always looking for something new. I have worked for some 15 years in the tourism industry and know that in winter months, numbers do tend to dwindle; so what we are hoping to do is plan packages with companies to use incentive travelling, which basically means charter flights for a number of business conferences using the seaplane to travel from Malta to Gozo.
We tend to be adventurous with the passengers and have a rib, which allows us to disembark in most places so we are not restricted to any one destination. Our plane has a 14-seat capacity with one premium seat, which costs more, but it is exciting to sit there since one can listen to the pilot communicating with air traffic control. This seat is the one next to the pilot’s and the view is incredible.
The plane we use is a Single Otter Dehavilland Aircraft, which has a single engine and one pilot, which makes it easier and cheaper to run. It is very reliable and we currently have two very experienced pilots who have been flying these planes for years. One pilot has been flying for about 10 years and has over 9,000 hours of flying under his belt.
We are hoping to eventually purchase a Twin Otter Dehavilland Aircraft for longer flights and start trips heading towards Syracuse in Sicily. It is a city, which attracts many tourists and we trying to vary the destination, which is used by the catamaran.
The history of the air-link to Gozo has so far been replete with failures: what gives you the confidence that your venture will be successful?
W.A.: The link from Malta to Gozo has always been a dedicated link as regards helicopters but we are taking a different approach with the seaplane. We are taking people on scenic tours, private charters and currently hiring our services out to wealthy people who come in with the ships. We have no dedicated destination or flight plan so you could say we have a free timetable. We usually have about 11 to 15 flights per day on average.
When it comes to airline qualifications we have The Air Operators Certificate and Air Service License, which coincides with all EU and European Aviation Safety Agency regulations. We are all about safety and 90% of what we do is all about this. We are not a private company and are insured unlike privately owned companies adding that extra security.
How does the seaplane compare to the helicopter service, which previously was the air link to Gozo?
W.A.: The seaplane is much more economical since consumption of fuel is of a lesser degree and maintenance also costs less. Helicopters on the other hand, cost much more and so are not really viable for regular trips. Seaplanes are also more pleasurable to travel on since it feels like a bird and if the engines are turned off, the plane glides smoothly in the air.
Did you encounter any problems in getting the seaplane venture going?
W.A.: We cannot say we encountered anything out of the ordinary since the authorities have been extremely cooperative with this project. We have not come across any red tape. We applied for our AOC license in December and have officially had it since July so we have not been running for very long. It hasn’t been plain sailing by any means but we have been given a lot of support from the government because they realise that this is something, which is needed in Malta.
How do you feel bureaucracy in Malta affects business in general?
W.A.: Yes, bureaucracy does have an effect but you do hear stories of people wanting to start some business enterprise on their own but expect too much from the government or other companies to help them. If you are to start your own business, one needs to have logistical sense and financial means. Harbour Air is privately funded and we have no or do not ask for any concessions. We pay our VAT just like everyone else.
What is your reading of the tourism scenario at present?
A.M.: We have had quite a good response and we are happy with the turnout. We did start late this year and we did not advertise a particular starting date since there were delays in receiving certain permits and we did not want to have to cancel any flights.
Is the seaplane exclusively dependent on tourism from cruise liners, given your location at the Valletta Waterfront? What sort of ratio do you expect from the tourist business and Maltese passengers?
A.M.: This service is not exclusively dependent on tourism and it is not aimed to replace the helicopter because it is a different service altogether. It can be considered as just another means of transport to Gozo. We can fly people there in the morning and pick them up in the afternoon. The business is currently focused upon tourists and Maltese businessmen travelling to and from Gozo on a regular basis. We are hoping to have an increase of Maltese passengers using our services. One of our plans is to introduce packages to company representatives who sell products and meet suppliers in Gozo. They will pre-book a number of flights over a period of 6 months and they will have use of a car when they arrive.
How many passengers will you have to carry every year to render your operation sustainable? Will weather conditions be a factor on the operation of the seaplane?
A.M.: Our objective is to keep our flights full and fortunately we have not cancelled any flights since we started. Weather plays a big factor and we have to consider wave height along with wind force. We can fly in most weather conditions although we have to be certain of the conditions of the landing and take-off sites. |
