In the 1920s, less than two decades after the first successful human flight took place, civil aviation had already arrived in Malta, when the islands were still under British rule. Malta’s first civil airfield was constructed at Ta’ Qali. Others, including one at Ħal Far, shortly followed. Luqa airport was originally built as a World War II British Royal Air Force (RAF) base.
Aerial shot of the Luqa airfield in 1941 [image credit: wikimedia commons]
Ta’ Qali and Ħal Far were severely battered during the Second World War; civil operations subsequently centred on the aerodrome at Luqa, which eventually became Malta International Airport, the country’s aviation hub.
HISTORY
1939: The RAF constructed Luqa Airfield as an all-weather supplementary base to ease reliance on the vulnerable sea-plane base at Kalafrana and grass airfields at Ta' Qali and Ħal Far. It played a critical defensive role during the Siege of Malta.
1958: As landplanes replaced seaplanes, the British government funded the island's first dedicated passenger air terminal at Luqa, featuring a restaurant, post office, and viewing balcony.
1979: The RAF station closed, and the site was transferred to the Maltese government. The government converted the military infrastructure into Malta's primary civilian gateway.
1992: A new, much larger terminal was inaugurated to handle modern traffic. The original 1956 terminal building was then repurposed as a cargo terminal.
2002: Malta International Airport (MIA) was privatized, paving the way for extensive modernization, expansion of duty-free, and increased passenger capacity.
Runway 13/31, Malta International Airport, 2023 [image credit: WalAndPl]
Today, the airport accommodates millions of travelers each year (7.8 million passengers annaullly by the end of 2023). It also serves as an important base for the Armed Forces of Malta, local aviation maintenance companies like Lufthansa Technik, and charter brokerages.
To find the cache:
Golf Charlie taxi from parking to cross runway one three perpendicular, taxi for one six zero metres then engine stop.