- Malta International Airport
-
Malta International Airport
Luqa Airport
Valletta Airport
IATA: MLA – ICAO: LMML Summary Airport type Public Owner Malta International Airport plc Serves Malta Location Luqa Hub for Air Malta, Ryanair Elevation AMSL 300 ft / 91 m Coordinates 35°51′27″N 014°28′39″E / 35.8575°N 14.4775°ECoordinates: 35°51′27″N 014°28′39″E / 35.8575°N 14.4775°E Website Map Location on Malta
MLARunways Direction Length Surface m ft 05/23 2,377 7,799 Asphalt 13/31 3,544 11,627 Asphalt Statistics (2010) Passengers 3,290,000 
Aircraft movements 28,936 Cargo kg (lb) 16,843,900 kg (37,134,443 lb) Source: Maltese AIP at EUROCONTROL[1]
Statistics from timesofmalta[2]Malta International Airport (IATA: MLA, ICAO: LMML) is the only airport in Malta and it serves the whole Maltese Archipelago. It is located between Luqa and Gudja. It occupies the location of the former RAF Luqa and was completely re-furbished, becoming fully operational on 25 March 1992. It is still referred to by locals as Luqa Airport, and sometimes as Valletta Airport internationally, as it is located 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest[1] of the Maltese capital Valletta.
The airport serves as the main hub for Air Malta, though many other airlines also fly to the airport, including many holiday airlines. The airport is operated by Malta International Airport plc, a public limited company. It also hosts the Area Control Centre. The airport hosts the annual Malta Airshow, visited by military and civil aircraft from various European and other countries.
On 4 March 2010, Ryanair announced the reaching of a 5-year agreement to make Malta International Airport its 41st base. One aircraft was based as of 17 May 2010.[3]
MIA's core air terminal operations include general passenger services, and the operation of an extensive range of retail services at the airport, airside and landside shops, restaurants and other outlets, which are all operated on concession agreements. MIA also leases office space to airlines and other travel related operators at the airport. Malta International Airport is a member of the ACI-EUROPE (Airports Council International - Europe) and a number of company officials sit on specialised committees and working groups within this council.
In 2010 Malta International Airport was awarded the title of "Most Noteworthy Airport for a New Small Budget Programme" by Passenger Terminal World[4]
Contents
History
The first civil airfield was constructed at Ta' Qali, followed by others at Ħal Far (RAF Hal Far) and Luqa. During the Second World War, the airfields at Ta' Qali and Hal Far were severely battered and civil operations subsequently centred on Luqa Airport.
The increase in passenger handling and aircraft movements necessitated the construction of a civil air terminal. Preparations started in 1956 and the British Government mainly financed what was then a Lm 300,000 (approx €700,000) project. Malta's new passenger air terminal at Luqa was inaugurated on 31 March 1958 by the then Governor of Malta Sir Robert Laycock. The air terminal consisted of two floors including some basic facilities such as a restaurant, a post office, a cable and wireless office and a viewing balcony for the public.
Air traffic constantly increased and new airlines with larger aircraft started operations. The introduction of jet aircraft decreased flying times and consequently attracted more people to travel by air.
In October 1977, a new and longer runway was launched and works commenced on the extension and refurbishment of the air terminal. An arrivals lounge and another lounge dedicated to VIPs were added and the original part of the terminal building was used for departures.
This refurbishment was not enough as it still lacked certain essential facilities. Immediately after the change in Government in 1987, the new administration decided that the 35-year-old terminal was past its time and therefore gave the green light for the construction of a new air terminal along Park 9.
Until the construction of the new air terminal was completed, the Government embarked on a further upgrade of the old air terminal. The facilities introduced included air conditioning, new baggage carousels, flight information monitors, computerised check-in desks, a new floor surface and new retail outlets including a larger duty free area.
The foundation stone of the present air terminal was laid in September 1989 and inaugurated in record time 29 months later in February 1992. Malta International Airport became fully operational on March 25, 1992, and the old Luqa passenger terminal was effectively closed down after 35 years.[5]
Awards
In 2010 Malta International Airport was awarded the title of "Most Noteworthy Airport for a New Small Budget Programme" by Passenger Terminal World, the international review of airport design, technology, security, operations and management. The airport is classified among the top 15 airports worldwide, joining Dubai, Brussels, San Francisco, Stockholm, Heathrow, Changi, Barcelona and Vienna, which were also awarded.[4]
The Passenger Terminal World Annual 2010 said "When a new terminal can cost US$1.5 billion it is hard to think that many wonderful airports are being developed for a fraction of that sum, but Malta Airport is one such. With its current development programme it is a small airport with big plans – improving the commercial offer, enlarging security and other essential services, and gaining plaudits from the country's population."[4]
In addition it also won Best Airport in its category (1-5 million passengers) at the ACI Europe Awards and the Best Airport in Europe across all categories in the ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ Survey).[6][7]
Airlines and destinations
Airlines Destinations Air Berlin Seasonal: Basel/Mulhouse, Cologne/Bonn, Munich, Nuremberg, Stuttgart Air Malta Amsterdam, Athens, Brussels, Catania, Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, Geneva, Hamburg, Hanover, Istanbul-Atatürk, Izmir, London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow, Manchester, Milan-Linate, Moscow-Sheremetyevo, Munich, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Paris-Orly, Rome-Fiumicino, Sofia, Stuttgart, Tel Aviv-Ben Gurion, Tripoli [resumes 28 November], Vienna, Zürich
Seasonal: Antalya, Bologna, Bournemouth, Bristol, Bucharest-Otopeni, Budapest, Cardiff, Corfu, Dubrovnik, Exeter, Gibraltar, Girona, Innsbruck, Leipzig/Halle, Ljubljana, Lourdes, Lyon, Marseille, Moscow-Domodedovo, Naples, Newcastle upon Tyne, Norwich, PragueAlitalia Rome-Fiumicino Bmibaby East Midlands EasyJet Belfast-International, Liverpool, London-Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle upon Tyne EgyptAir Express Cairo Emirates Dubai, Larnaca Europe Airpost Seasonal: Paris-Charles de Gaulle Iberia operated by Air Nostrum Seasonal: Madrid Jettime Billund, Copenhagen Libyan Airlines Tripoli Lufthansa Frankfurt, Munich Luxair Seasonal: Luxembourg Norwegian Air Shuttle Copenhagen Seasonal: Oslo-Gardermoen Ryanair Bari, Birmingham, Bologna, Bristol, Dublin, Edinburgh, Eindhoven, Girona, Leeds/Bradford, London-Luton, Madrid, Marseille, Pisa, Seville, Stockholm-Skavsta, Trapani, Treviso, Valencia, Wroclaw [begins 31 March 2012]
Seasonal: Billund, Glasgow Prestwick, KrakowScandinavian Airlines Seasonal: Stockholm-Arlanda SmartWings Seasonal: Prague Spanair Barcelona Thomas Cook Airlines Manchester
Seasonal: East Midlands, Glasgow-International, London-GatwickThomson Airways London-Gatwick, Manchester
Seasonal: BirminghamThomson Airways
operated by Air MaltaSeasonal: Cardiff [begins 1 May 2012] Transavia.com Seasonal: Amsterdam Travel Service Seasonal: Budapest TunisAir Express Djerba, Monastir, Tunis Vueling Airlines Seasonal: Barcelona Statistics
Terminal as seen from the tarmac
The old passenger terminal at Luqa Airport was converted into an air cargo terminal when the completely re-furbished Malta International Airport became fully operational in March 1992.
Neoplan Airport BusBusiest International Routes out of Malta International Airport (2010)[8] Rank Airport Passengers handled % Change (vs 2009) 1 
London Gatwick Airport288,534 
6.362 
Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport231,432 37.953 London Heathrow Airport197,182 1.514 Manchester Airport182,097 4.495 
Frankfurt Airport181,459 3.086 Munich Airport108,039 9.787 London Luton Airport98,307 6.998 Malpensa Airport81,801 54.659 Catania-Fontanarossa Airport74,840 8.6810 
Brussels Airport73,249 4.32Top 10 Passenger Airlines out of Malta International Airport (2010)[8] Rank Airline Aircraft Movements % Change (vs 2009) 1 Air Malta 15,939 0.242 Ryanair 4,815 55.023 EasyJet 2,326 79.484 Lufthansa 747 1.195 Emirates 736 0.276 Alitalia 728 0.277 Libyan Airlines 475 52.738 Vueling Airlines 336 13.519 Thomas Cook Airlines 320 2.4410 EgyptAir 292 39.05Top 5 Airlines out of Malta International Airport (2010)[9] Rank Airline Passengers 2010 Passengers 2009 Change % Change 1 Air Malta 1,681,197 1,638,641 42,5562.6%2 Ryanair 675,637 444.527 231,11052%3 easyJet 303,000 182,821 120,17966%4 Lufthansa 111,125 113,320 -2,1952%5 Emirates 95,660 110,161 -14,50113%6 Others 190,107 225,803 -35,69616%Total All Airlines 3,293,527 2,918,664 374,86312.8%Traffic
There was a significant increase in the volume of traffic that passed trough Malta International Airport in 2010. Passengers were up by 12.8% from the previous year, aircraft movements were up by 10%.[9]
Access
Bus
Malta International Airport is well-served by public transport.
Arriva Malta buses serve the airport. A mixture of Express services and local services are available. [10]:
Express Services
Route Number Route (& vice versa) Frequency X1 Airport - Marsa Park & Ride - Pembroke Park & Ride - Mellieħa - Ċirkewwa Every 60 mins. X2 Airport - Paola - Marsa Park & Ride - Mater Dei - San Ġiljan (St Julians) Every 30 mins. X3 Airport - Paola - Marsa Park & Ride - Birkirkara - Attard - Rabat - Mosta - Buġibba Every 30 mins. X4 Valletta - Marsa Park & Ride - Airport - Birżebbuġa Every 15 mins. X5 Valletta - Marsa Park & Ride - Airport - Birżebbuġa - Iż-Żejtun - Marsaskala Every 30 mins. Other Local Services
The following routes pass through the airport, but are not express services.[11]
Route Number Route (& vice versa) Frequency 117 Airport - Ħal Kirkop - Ħal Safi - Żurrieq - Qrendi - Mqabba - Airport Every 30 mins. 118 Airport - Mqabba - Qrendi - Żurrieq - Ħal Kirkop - Airport Every 30 mins. 120 Paola - Santa Luċija - Airport - Ħal Luqa - Marsa Park & Ride - St Vincent de Paul - Ħal Farruġ Every 30 mins. 135 Airport - Gudja - Bir id-Deheb - Żejtun - Marsaskala Every 30 mins. 201 Airport - Żurrieq - Blue Grotto - Siġġiewi - Dingli - Rabat - Baħrija Every 60 mins. Night Buses
Services run between 2300 and 0400 on Friday and Saturday evenings, all year round.
Route Number Route (& vice versa) N71 San Ġiljan (St Julians) - Paola - Airport - Żurrieq - Qrendi - Mqabba N72 San Ġiljan (St Julians) - Paola - Ħal Tarxien - Żejtun - Bir id-Deheb - Gudja - Airport There is also an airport to hotel shuttle service that can be pre booked online.[12][13][14]
Car
The airport is located 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of the capital, Valletta. The city centre and airport are both clearly signposted.
Airport services
Malta Airport MetOffice
The Malta Airport MetOffice[15] is part of the Malta International Airport and provides the function of a national meteorological service for Malta. Although they primarily serve aviation they also service the public sector.[16]
The MetOffice provides the following services
- A five day weather forecast which includes highest and lowest temperatures, prevailing weather, current temperature, wind direction and speed.
- A detailed daily forecast updated every 6/8 hours.
- Detailed weather observations on a daily basis.
- A three day forecast for mariners.
- A UV Index and a Heat Stress Index.
- Graphic images of the wind direction and speed, and temperatures within the Mediterranean.
- An isobar chart and satellite images of the prevailing weather.
All equipment, other than the Doppler Weather Radar, is enhanced by automatic weather stations, of which eight are situated in Malta and Gozo. At the same time an aerodrome weather observation system is located at the airport and meets World Meteorological Organization/International Civil Aviation Organization standards. All of the automated stations meet the ISO 9001:2008 standards.
The MetOffice is able to get information from the Agencia Estatal de Meteorología in Madrid and the UK's Met Office along with numerical weather models such as those provided by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts in Reading, England.[17]
Transport and parking
Welcomers' HallCar hire companies are located in the Welcomers' Hall and include Active Car Rental, Avis, Budget, Europcar, Hertz, Dollar Thrifty, Sixt and First Active Car Rental.[18]
Taxis are available 24 hours a day from the airport to any destination in Malta. Fixed rates are applicable and pre-paid tickets can be purchased from the ticket booth inside the Welcomers' Hall on Arrivals. Alternatively it is recommended to book a private hire cab prior to your arrival. Reputable companies include Active cabs, Swansea cabs and Malta car bookers [19]
The airport car parking has considerably increased during 2009. It offers therefore a larger capacity for parking handled and managed by MIA.
Shopping and eating
You can find several shops at the airport, including news kiosk, florist and tax-free outlets. A good selection of renowned brands is available at the outlets. The shopping experience is completed with varied choice of Food and Beverage outlets. A number of them are accessible to the public (arrivals and check-in hall area). It has also opened a new food court - the Jet Express - inside the Departure Lounge. Jet Express is the latest addition to the array of outlets under the Airport Value brand and provides an open-air court offering a large variety of beverages, snacks and hot meals.
Facilities
Automated money exchange dispensers and ATM are available on the passengers area and arrivals. Also a 24 hour service of exchange bureau can be find on arrivals area. In addition, there is a post office and a telecommunications centre, located in the terminal. Wireless Internet access is available throughout the airport. A left luggage service is available 24-hours a day, as is a luggage secure-wrapping service.[20]
Malta International Airport has improved services for disabled and reduced mobility people to ensure an easier transit through the airport terminal to the aircraft and similarly on return. The terminal has wheelchair-accessible toilets, ramps and low-level payphones. Reserved parking spaces are available in the car park. Wheelchairs are available on request from the Customer Services Centre.[21]
Through La Valette Club, VIP members have an access to lounges: La Valette Lounge (departures and arrivals). Internet access is available to lounge users with a free Wi-Fi throughout the area.[22]
Fully equipped business and conference rooms are available on request.[21]
La Valette Club has recetly added more facilities at Malta International Airport, one of them being the new conference room. This space is ideal for large- scale meetings or events and has the option of being converted into two sound proof rooms accessed by separate doors.[23]
Service quality
The company has invested thoroughly, not only in developing further the amenities within the terminal, but especially in intensive training of its staff to ensure that the service levels are enhanced. These efforts were recognised by two prestigious international awards:
Best Airport in its category (1-5 million passengers) at the ACI Europe Awards and the Best Airport in Europe across all categories in the ACI Airport Service Quality (ASQ Survey).[6][7]
Skyparks Business Centrer
Located within the grounds of Malta International Airport, Skyparks is situated in one of Malta's most commercially oriented districts. With a foodprint of 3,100 m2 (33,368 sq ft) square meters over 9 floors, the business centre is constructed in an energy efficiency ethic way. It is the first building in Malta to have applied for BREEAM (BRE Environmental Assessment Method) certification to become the island's first Grade A office park.
The complex will house various facilities, including food and beverage outlets, a bank, a stationary shop and convenience store. Moreover, it will provide a fitness and wellness centre, a childcare centre and a large car park with over 160 spaces.[24]
Incidents and accidents
- On 5 January 1960, Vickers Viscount G-AMNY of British European Airways was damaged beyond economic repair at Luqa when it departed the runway after landing following a loss of hydraulic pressure.[25]
- On 25 November 1973, Luqa Airport witnessed the landing of KLM Flight 861. The aircraft named "Mississippi", was a Boeing 747 hijacked by three young Arabs over Iraqi airspace on a scheduled Amsterdam-Tokyo flight with 247 passengers on board, after the hijackers threatened to blow up the plane when no country would grant landing permission. Most of the passengers and the eight stewardesses were released after negotiations with the Maltese PM Dom Mintoff who argued with the hijackers that the plane could not possibly take off with both the passengers and the 27,000 gallons of fuel they had demanded given the (then) short runway. With 11 passengers on board the jumbo jet left Malta to Dubai where the incident ended without fatalities.[26] The hijack was claimed by the Arab Nationalist Youth Organization.
- On 23 November 1985, Luqa Airport was the scene of one of the deadliest aircraft hijackings in aviation history.[27] EgyptAir Flight 648 was forced to land in Malta en–route to Libya. Unit 777 of the Egyptian counter-terrorism forces was dispatched to deal with the incident. Storming of the Boeing 737, reluctantly authorised by Maltese officials after five hostages were shot, resulted in the death of over 60 passengers[28] plus several security personnel, aircrew and members of the hijackers, the Abu Nidal Organization.
- Abdelbaset al-Megrahi was convicted for the Lockerbie bombing on the theory that he loaded a bomb onto Air Malta Flight KM180 Malta-Frankfurt at Luqa Airport which it is alleged found its way via the interline baggage system onto Pan Am Feeder Flight 103A Frankfurt-London and eventually onto Pan Am Flight 103 London -New York.
- MLA was the origin airport of the Air Malta Flight 830 Malta-Istanbul hijack which ended in Cologne.
- On February 21, 2011, two Libyan fighter pilots, both claiming to be colonels, defected and landed their Mirage F1 jets at the airport after refusing to carry out orders to fire upon a group of civilian Libyan protesters in Tripoli. On the same day two Eurocopter Super Puma helicopters registered in France also landed carrying seven French nationals who were under Italian contracts to work in Libya.[29][30]|
References
- ^ a b EAD Basic
- ^ Tunisia tourists diverted to Malta - MIA registers record
- ^ Ryanair Announces 41st Base in Malta
- ^ a b c MIA listed among top 15 airports
- ^ Malta International Airport
- ^ a b MIA wins ACI Europe's Best Airport Award 2010 in its category
- ^ a b Airport Service Quality Awards Industry Recognition of the Best Airports in the World
- ^ a b Statistics
- ^ a b MIA Business Report and Financial Statements 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ http://www.arriva.com.mt/routes-and-timetables?l=1
- ^ New Transport Service from MIA
- ^ Welcome to Malta Airport Transfer from only €7
- ^ Peppin Transport
- ^ Malta International Airport MetOffice
- ^ Weather News
- ^ A new Meteorological Office at MIA
- ^ Car Rentals
- ^ Taxi service
- ^ MIA Shopping
- ^ a b Persons with Reduced Mobility
- ^ La Valette Club
- ^ [2]
- ^ Skyparks Business Centre
- ^ "Accident description". Aviation Safety Network. http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19600105-0. Retrieved 14 September 2009.
- ^ Dutch KLM Boeing 747
- ^ "1985: Commandoes storm hijacked plane". BBC. 24 November 1985. http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/24/newsid_4356000/4356024.stm. Retrieved 2007-02-07.
- ^ "After nearly 11 years, EgyptAir hijacker sentenced". CNN. October 7, 1996. http://www.cnn.com/US/9610/07/terrorist.sentenced/index.html. Retrieved 2007-02-07.[dead link]
- ^ "Two Libyan fighter pilots defect, fly to Malta". Reuters. 21 February 2011. http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/02/21/us-libya-protests-malta-idUSTRE71K52R20110221.
- ^ Libyan plane carried pilots to fly Mirages back - PM
External links
Categories:- Airports in Malta
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