Malta International Airport (MLA) is situated between Luqa and Gudja, in the former location of the British airbase for RAF Luqa. After a complete refurbishing, the airport was opened to the public in 1992. Many locals still refer to MLA as Luqa Airport; because the airport is located about 3 miles southwest of Malta’s capital, Valletta, it is often referred to as Valletta Airport as well. The airport serves as the home of Air Malta, and hosts the annual Malta Airshow.
The grounds also include a number of pilot training academies, as well as the Skyparks Business Centre.
Malta International Airport is the only airport in Malta, and it serves all of the Maltese Islands.
Did You Know? Interesting Facts About Malta International Airport:
- In 2010, MLA was awarded the title of “Most Noteworthy Airport for a New Small Budget Programme” by Passenger Terminal World. It has been classified among the top 15 airports worldwide.
- Malta International Airport has been awarded multiple international awards for service quality.
- MLA was the site of a highly-volatile hostage negotiation in 1973, when a Boeing 747 that had been hijacked by three young Arabs landed on its runway. Maltese Prime Minister Dom Mintoff negotiated with the terrorists and most of the passengers and crew were released before the plane departed for Dubai. The incident ended without casualties.
- Unfortunately, not all hijackings involving Malta International Airport ended so well. MLA was also the location of one of the most deadly aircraft hijackings in history. EgyptAir Flight 648 was forced to land in Malta after being hijacked en route to Libya. An Egyptian counter-terrorism team was reluctantly dispatched to storm the grounded plane. Over 60 passengers were killed in the resulting assault, along with several of the hijackers.
- In 2011, two Libyan fighter pilots landed their Mirage F1 jets at MLA after defecting. Their stated reason: the two pilots refused to follow orders to fire on a group of civilian protesters in Tripoli.
- Taxis are available 24 hours a day and can take passengers to any destination in Malta. Travel authorities recommend booking a private-hire cab prior to arrival.
- MLA handled over 392,000 passengers in 2015.
- The SkyParks Business Center, located on the airport grounds, is one of the most sought-after commercial spaces in Malta.
Malta International Airport Apron Cam
This live webcam shows the airport’s main apron of activity for commercial flights. The camera is located near the Viewing Gallery on Level 3 of the Air Terminal.
View Malta International Airport Apron webcam.
St. George’s Square – Valletta
This camera shows a view of the main square of Malta’s capital. The left of the image includes the front of The Grandmaster’s Palace, an the dancing fountain can be seen in the center.
View St. George’s Square – Valletta webcam.
Valletta, Malta Panorama – Fortina Spa
You can see the splendor of Valletta from the Tigne Seafront with this camera. Ferries and other small watercraft can be seen skimming across the tranquil waters.
View Valletta, Malta Panorama – Fortina Spa webcam.
Senglea Boatyard Cam
This view of the Valletta waterfront often shows cruise liners and yachts in mooring. The historic town of Senglea is visible on the left side of the image.
View Senglea Boatyard webcam.
Visit Malta Web Cam – Grand Harbour
Considered one of the majestic ports in the world, Malta’s Grand Harbor is a broad stretch of water separating Valletta from its neighboring towns. This harbor has been active for over 2000 years, and is a major port of call for Mediterranean cruise ships.
View Grand Harbour webcam.
Visit Malta Web Cam – Golden Bay
You can view the beautiful beach at Golden Bay through this cam. One of the most popular beaches in Malta, Golden Bay offers all of the fun activities and dining needed for a fun day at the beach. In the back of the image, you can see a modern 5-star resort that has been built to overlook the crashing waves.
View Golden Bay webcam.
Valletta Web Cam
This cam shows a different overhead view of Malta’s capital city of Valletta. The view changes, sometimes showing the centuries-old buildings along the water, and sometimes the numerous ships moored at the harbor.
View Valletta Web Cam.
Airport Runway Cam Tags:
- malta airport webcam