Says Planes Shouldn't Fly Over Residential Areas 

One week after a mid-air collision claimed a life at Malta's Aero-GP competition... eight groups of local politicians have taken a stand against another airshow scheduled there September 22-23.

The members of those eight town councils say they don't want a repeat of last week's accident at the upcoming Malta International Airshow -- one they say could be much worse. This time, protestors say, the aircraft involved are flying over residential areas.

But organizers of this weekend's event say, hold on.

"The only time the planes fly over buildings is to reposition before the next manoeuvre, a move that is called straight and level. These planes will not be racing," said Malta Aviation Society president Joseph Ciliberti.

"People have a right to protest," Ciliberti added, as reported by The Times of Malta. "All I can say is that we have all the permits in hand and we are taking all the precautions."

But council members point to the 1975 crash of a British RAF Vulcan taking part in the show. It went down in the town of Zabbar... killing all five crew members and a Maltese man on the ground.

But is safety the real issue? Council members also complain about the "terrible noise" from military planes at the event... which protestors say disturb the elderly, and even stir unpleasant memories of World War II for some.

Traffic management is also an issue cited by the group of eight villages protesting the show.

This year's show is expected to go ahead as planned. As for future shows... well, let's see what happens in the coming weeks.

FMI: www.maltaairshow.com