The Malta International Airport (abbreviation: MIA and airport code MLA, in which L stands for Luqa, a village nearby) is the only airport of Malta and Gozo and the main point of entry for most visitors to the islands.
Air travel is, without a doubt, the most popular, cheapest, and most time-efficient mode of travel to the Maltese islands.
On this page, you can find all the info you need on what you can expect when you arrive at and depart from Malta airport.
Malta only has one airport: Malta International Airport, with the airport code MLA and the abbreviation MIA. The airport is listed as a European airport serving Malta and Gozo.
Malta International Airport is located near the village of Luqa, hence why some flight booking sites refer to the airport as Luqa Airport.
Malta Airport can get busy during peak hours when several flights are scheduled at around the same time. Make sure to arrive well in advance.
Malta Airport is not a big one, given that it serves a small country. It only has one terminal serving both departures and arrivals, and its size and air traffic can’t be compared with the ones of big airports such as Paris Charles de Gaulle and London Heathrow.
You need to get to Malta Airport at least two hours before your flight so you have enough time to check in your luggage, go through security check and board your flight without running.
Malta International Airport is located towards the southeast of the main island of Malta, near the villages of Luqa and Gudja. The first village name often shows up in flight searches, in fact: Luqa airport.
Malta’s a very small island, so transport to and from the airport campus is a fairly simple affair. These are the most popular transport options.
You don’t need to worry about what terminal you need to look out for, as Malta International Airport only has a single-passenger terminal.
Public transport in Malta is primarily based on a system of bus routes. There are four express routes designated for travelling to and from the airport, which run daily from morning to evening:
Routes X1, X2 and X3 operate from early in the morning (5-6 a.m.) until late in the evening (11 p.m.-midnight), seven days a week. Route X4 operates between 5-6 a.m. and 10-11 p.m., seven days a week. Follow the links above to each of the routes to get to their timetables on the website of Public Transport Malta.
Tickets can be purchased from the airport arrivals hall as well as directly from the bus driver (although please make sure you offer the exact amount of cash or a small denomination since drivers carry limited change, or use a contactless debit/credit card) and are single journey tickets that can be used to get to any destination within two hours, including interchanging. Rates vary between day (€2.00 per person) and night (€3.00 per person, applicable to the routes identified by the letter N before the route number).
Several private taxi providers (such as Welcome Pickups) offer Malta airport transfers to a number of destinations and hotels around the island at more economical rates than grabbing a taxi at the airport or booking with international agents.
You can check prices and book a transfer on Welcome Pickups for your flights to Malta by using this search:
Taxi services between the Malta International Airport and any destination on the island are available 24 hours a day. Pre-paid tickets can be purchased at fixed rates from a booth in the airport’s Arrivals Hall.
A regular taxi usually accommodates 4 passengers, but the number and size of luggage must be taken into consideration. Rates once again vary depending on your destination, ranging from €38 per vehicle for the most remote parts of the island to €32 per vehicle for areas closest to the airport.
If you’re a confident driver, renting a car might be the most suitable option for you to travel around the islands! There are a number of rental agencies at Malta’s airport.
You can pre-book your rental online or choose to do so upon arrival.
There are numerous car rental agencies available on arrival at MLA airport (follow the signs to the Park East parking area). A mix of international and local car hire agents are represented, e.g. AVIS, Budget, Citygo Rentals, Europcar, First Car Rental, Gold Car, Green Motion, Hertz and Sixt.
More info and advance bookings here: Car Hire from Malta Airport
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After your flight touches down at Malta International Airport, there are a couple of things you can do to get a good kickstart to your trip to Malta.
You can get free Wi-Fi at the airport by connecting to the MIA access point and logging into the MIA website, which pops up on your mobile/tablet browser once your device is connected.
If you’d like to stay connected through mobile data, you can also purchase a local SIM card and a data bundle for your mobile, should you need one, from the Epic (local network) outlet in the Arrivals Hall (to your right as you exit the baggage collection area).
Note that if you are coming from another EU country, you won’t need to buy a local SIM card, as there have been no roaming surcharges between EU countries since 2017.
More info on internet connectivity and Wi-Fi in Malta here.
If you’d like to withdraw some cash, you can find an ATM in the Arrivals hall of HSBC (bank) and there’s also a currency exchange machine available (also HSBC) which accepts most major international currencies.
If you need to buy any drugs or any form of medication once you land, there is a well-stocked pharmacy within the Arrivals hall (to your left as you exit the baggage reclaim), which is open six days a week from Mon-Sun 8 a.m. until 10 p.m. (closed between 2:30 – 3 p.m.). You’ll also be able to buy things like sunblock lotion here, not just medicinal goods.
If you’re travelling to Malta from a Schengen country, you usually do not require a passport when entering Malta International Airport. Even so, you still need a valid form of identification, and carrying a passport or ID card when travelling is always the best option. If you’re coming from non-Schengen areas, you need:
If you require more information please consult the website of Identity Malta.
There’s a variety of retail outlets at Malta Airport, including a couple of jewellery stores, book shops and stationeries, a few fashion outlets and a well-stocked souvenir shop. The most important to note are:
There are a few dining options available at the Malta International Airport for a proper dinner but also food options for a quick bite to take with you on the aircraft. These can be found in the landside section, that is, close to departures, at the airside section, after checking in and passing through security, or at the SkyParks Business Centre.
The latter is part of the airport campus but is housed in a separate building in close vicinity to the main terminal building (within a 5-minute walk from the Arrivals Hall).
Here’s a shortlist of the dining options that Malta Airport has to offer.
The Food court is a group of restaurants that can be found on the lower level of the airport, which is accessible between Departures and Arrivals.
The SkyParks Business Centre is a 5-minute walk away from the Arrivals Hall exit and offers a few good options for food if you have extra time to kill.
Leave a comment below and let me know!
Edward is the Founder and Editor of Malta Uncovered and author of two guidebooks on Malta and Valletta.
As a tourist-turned-expat with Maltese roots, he knows the islands inside out and helps thousands of visitors enjoy a memorable trip every year.
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Hi, Thanks for this very useful information. I have another question though: I arrive at 2am, is the food court active, or at least the area accessible at that time?
thanks,
Hi Ruth, I’m afraid the restaurants at the food court will be closed at that time. Most open between 10am and 11pm or midnight. The area should be accessible, however.
Hi, Edward. I’m departing Malta soon, traveling alone, with quite a bit of luggage, and will need a trolley from taxi to baggage drop. Is there a trolley stand nearby at the departure area, where my taxi will drop me off? Thanks for any info you can provide! : )
Hi Ashley, yes, right next to the entrance on the Departures side you can find a trolley stand. You can ask your taxi driver to wait for a minute while you fetch one. I believe you’ll need a €2 coin (have one handy!) to get a trolley out of the stand and upon return you get refunded €1. (Not a fan of the system, but it is what it is.)
I will be arriving from Israel at 12:55PM and have self connection at 2:15PM to Lisbon. Both flights aee with Ryanair. Is it enough time for passport control and cleareance?
Yes, you should be fine with that transit time Marcos, it’s a very small airport and passport control are usually pretty efficient.
Hi Edward,
I have a 6:30am flight out of Malta back to the US. I will be staying in an AirBnB in Valletta. I will probably need to be at the airport at 4am. What would be the best option to go to the airport? Should I schedule an eCabs to pick me up at 3:30am? Do they operate that early? Or do airport shuttles pick people up from a bus terminal in Valletta that I should go to?
Hi Anna, both options work at that time in the morning and I believe shuttle buses can pick you up from near the bus terminus (they will confirm upon booking), though if it were me, before a long haul flight, I’d go for the taxi option. With a shuttle bus, despite the early hour you never know how many stops they’ll need to make and I’d prefer paying a little more for peace of mind myself. I hope that helps – Have a safe trip!
Will they provide you with plastic zip lock bags to put your liquids in when flying out of Malta? Or do they expect you to purchase your own before flying?
Hi Dean, yes those are usually provided at the security check.
Hello, we are leaving on a flight from Malta to Germany. It is leaving at 6.30am. What time should we be at the airport before the flight leaves.
Hi Carmen, being at the airport two hours before the flight time is the standard really. Have a safe trip!
Are there any water machines to fill up our water bottles after check-in and security?
And thanks for all your helpful hints and emails 🙂
Hi Arthur – Yes there are and you’re welcome 🙂
I have a 6 hour layover enroute to Rome. Can I leave the airport and have a look at Malta?
Hi Denise, yes you can visit a place or two with that time. Valletta isn’t far away, maybe 15-20 minutes by car. I’d avoid public transport and take a taxi with Taxify or eCabs to get there and see some of the sights. One thing to keep in mind is rush hour (7-9am and 4:30-6:30pm roughly) as the route from the airport to Valletta (and vice versa) can be affected by congestion. Best thing to do is to ask your taxi driver when you get there.
On arrival do they open both the front and back doors of the plane – I want to select our seats on the plane. Many thanks
Usually only in the front Lucy. Have a good trip!
Hi,
Horrible question but is there a shop within the arrivals hall that sells cigarettes?
Thank you.
Hi Mike, Costa have a cigarette machine I believe. It’ll accept coins and notes of €5 (and you can always get change at Costa when they’re open).
We arrive on a Saturday night at approx 10pm. Only carry on luggage and renting a car. Is there somewhere to pick up some groceries that late at night?
Hi Jeanne, the only place I was able to find that’s open at that time is a small convenience store called Tokens in Paceville, St. Julian’s. I *highly* recommend not heading that way with a rented car after a long flight because it’s in the middle of the nightlife centre (and parking will be pretty much impossible as well at that time). Other options for at least some water and food are Costa in the arrivals hall or McDonald’s to your left as you exit the airport terminal building (5-min walk away) before you pick up the car.
Thank you!
Forgot my power adapter for type G. Will there be a possiblity to buy one at the airport ?
Yes, there are two stationery shops (one at Arrivals, another at Departures – 2-min walk away) and they sell adapters. At pretty steep prices as you can imagine though.
Hi,
We (3 adults, 1 teen) are arriving Malta from Vienna at midnight (23:59 on 8th July). Is there normally somewhere free floor space at the airport to sleep for 3 hours?
Hi Ray, at that time of day there won’t be much activity and you’ll probably be able to find a few benches downstairs near the food court. (Once you get out in the arrivals hall turn to your right – 50m walk.)
We will be traveling to Catania, with a 4 hour layover in Valletta. Is there enough time to leave and see something in valetta in time to fly out?
If you have a layover in Malta that’ll be at the airport which is around a 30-minute drive away from Valletta so no I doubt that’ll be enough time.
Hi, I will be travelling from Tel Aviv to Casablanca via Malta on Air Malta.
I would like to know if I will need to pass passport control during my transit.
Inquiring as I will need a visa if this is the case.
Hi Theodore, yes you’ll need to get a visa and you should be able to get one from the Embassy of Malta in Tel Aviv.
I would like to inquire about connection time at your airport. I have a flight arriving at 23:59 from Catania,Sicily and my next flight is to TLV, Israel at 1:00 (the next day). Both flights are with AirMalta. Considering we will only have hand luggage, do you think 1 hour is enough between the flights?
Hi Dana, you should be fine with one hour transit time, it’s a small airport.