Farewell to Air Malta: Emotional Moments from the Airline's Last Flight

The final Air Malta flight left London Heathrow to return home on Saturday night, closing a 50-year chapter on the nation's first national airline.
Times of Malta was onboard the historic flight and got a behind-the-scenes look into the airline’s final journey, flying the same route as Air Malta's very first trip in 1974.
Read the full story here: shorturl.at/rxKVW

[@greatpar]

I’m a proud Ansett Australia employee. I know how you feel. Once upon a time flying was magical and special. 🙏🇦🇺🇲🇹

[@matheussouza3751]

As a Brazilian, I miss VARIG dearly. It's painful!!!!

[@rc70ys]

They’ve failed due to corrupt Labor government

[@louisandre3316]

I am french and i had fly more than fifty times with air Malta ,with my german girl friend,my parents,some time with a group of teenager and most of the time alone for diving,walking in the country or few time for the barroque festival,the carnival in Nadur or the Notte Bianca....but i was,at first,confident to be with a serious companie,with a kind crew even sometime with some landing in a stormy weather....a wonderful old familie,,,.include the ground force making the jouney safe,,,something rare now...money is not everything pride and fame are not a bargain thanks people of Air Malta

[@phil_nicholls]

I was the operating Captain of a BA flight to Mumbai, departing at about the same time as this flight. As we were waiting to taxy(i), we heard the Captain of this Air Malta flight on the radio to Heathrow ATC, thanking them for looking after the Air Malta flights throughout the years, and giving a short speech. We did wonder what was going on at the time, and now it all makes sense. Very sad to see Air Malta go, in the same way that many other airlines have gone before. Blue skies to all the employees and passengers.

[@eddiehimself]

I find it hard to believe a BA captain can't spell "taxi"

[@colonel_carlito]

@@eddiehimselfdon’t let the truth get in the way of a good story

[@phil_nicholls]

@@eddiehimself Haha! You’re quite right of course! No idea why I did that!🤦🏼‍♂️ I’ll leave my mistake there though, as this would make no sense otherwise!

[@paulgoode5245]

They will always be Air 🇲🇹 too all the ppl that used the airline❤

[@frankbrown9618]

I remember my first flight from Rome to Malta in 1975. I was a lively toddler and very curious to see a "maltese airplane" but it was operated by PIA Pakistan Internation Airlines... Ciao Air Malta, your spirit of kindness and hospitality is an everlasting heritage!

[@philipcubitt]

The Maltese people and in particularly the air and ground staff of Air Malta should be proud of this airline and what it represented to those who flew as passengers or just saw the logo taxing by at whatever airport the it operated from. So many memorable airlines have either merged or gone into receivership over the decades.Very sad.

[@Tirana44]

Very sad. I flew from Heathrow to Malta and return back in its early days, it was onboard a Boeing 720B. I’m wish all the Air Malta crews all the best for the future.

[@martindehavilland-fox3175]

I have many happy memories of that beautiful little country and flying Air Malta to get there. I'm sorry to see her go - a salute to all her crew that gave everyone a warm, heartfelt Maltese welcome on board. Here is to the next generation of Maltese aviation. May you spread your wings and show the whole world Maltese hospitality! 😘

[@tango6nf477]

I have never been lucky enough to visit Malta but if I ever do I hope that I will meet Crew so proud, professional and loyal such as these, it would be a privilege.

[@bigd4561]

I am Canadian and I would strongly recommend Malta. One of the most spectacular places I have visited. Stunning place. Nice people. Gorgeous water. Great beer. Butterflies just talking about it.

[@user-ju5up6cj6j]

I have been to Malta on a yearly holiday for 44years mostly with air malta

[@cameraman655]

Fare the well KM, I have many fond memories flying you since the 70s, with your Boeing 720s as a child, you will be missed 🥺

[@bigd4561]

Sad. Visited Malta on Air Malta 25 years ago. It was a good flight. Great place. Great memories. My best regards.

[@suhailshafi]

I lived in Malta for nine and a half years and flew with Air Malta on many occasions during that time. I am heartbroken the airline is no longer flying. It was a good, reliable and professional airline.

[@charlesborg7507]

I worked with Airmalta for 33years and I had an experience on the portfolio management of Air Malta plc between June 1989 till May 1997. I tried very hard not to see this situation but it was all in vain. I had to face hard times and went sick. The problems were high positions of bad management because till todate I have not received JUSTICE to my achievement on my duties as portfolio management. This is the truth.

[@jillhollins8066]

Flew with them so many times starting in 1985, once you were on board it felt like you were already in Malta, sad day

[@ianstewartorr8455]

We flew Glasgow to Newcastle Newcastle to Malta many years ago we stayed in the white dolphin apartments we liked Malta and we flew with air Malta

[@YourLocalAviator]

I go to malta every couple of years, and always flew out with air malta. It's going to be sad to see them go...

[@sueb7458]

Very emotional watching this last flight of Air Malta. Happy memories travelling on B720s , B737 and even B707 and of course the Airbus. Happy days visiting family and friends .

[@HB45175]

So Air Malta was replaced with KM Air Malta, and not to be confused with Wizz Air Malta or Malta Air. It's unusual to have four airlines with nearly the same name.

[@EggsAviation]

No, it’s KM Malta Airlines

[@colonel_carlito]

what shame, i hope they bounce back

[@RoccoSKE777]

How bro flying for air malta since he was 17

[@EthanR233]

Is this a joke? Look at when it was made

[@papi8659]

Hopefully they pay their debts before changing their name and get a grip on their outrageous pilot salaries . Another airline destroyed by greed and incompetence.

[@phil_nicholls]

I've just googled the Air Malta salaries for pilots - they're not that good - even Wizz Air pay better!

[@rc70ys]

The whole island is ruined

[@geoffashden2]

Sorry but back in the 80s I flew to Malta several times a year. After flying Air Malta once, I then always booked with BA. At the time, BA were far superior!

[@raphaelcamilleri6047]

A disgraceful act from the Malta government. It's a loss for Malta, now without a national airline 😢

[@FliVids]

There's always ryanair 😭

[@Ethan-im3kr]

They've already replaced the airline with a new flag carrier 'KM Malta Airlines', and it only closed down because the European Union refused the Maltese Government's request to give airMalta 290 million euros of state aid.

[@phuttyyt]

I live in Estonia, a country with 2.5 times the population of Malta, and we don't have a national airline anymore either - successive attempts to keep one flying have failed. (Same in Lithuania, which is almost 6 times the size of Mata!) I get that it's probably more a matter of pride for you, in a smaller country and island nation, but so long as there are other carriers keeping you connected to the rest of Europe and the world, that's the main thing :)

[@rc70ys]

CORRUPT LABOR GOVERNMENT

[@charlesborg7507]

The hypocracy of high management in Air Malta plc has lead such situation to shut down. My 33 years of experience in Finance of Air Malta confirm the hypocracy of high management. My experience in the PORTOFOLIO management of Air Malta plc between June 1989 till May 1997 from which I was earning interest if 4 million Maltese lira which were nearly half the wages and salaries of all the employees nearly 1200 confirms the hypocracy of high management in Air Malta that lead to shut down. I tried very hard not to face this situation but the hypocracy of high management had lead me in a depression that I couldn't work anymore in such a high hypocracy environment. This hypocracy has continued when one of the highest management had created or invented a policy to satisfy the political reasons under the reason of restructuring that lead my brother to death because after a short period of time , he changed such same policy so that he can send another staff of the same grade if my late and beloved brother. This confirms again the hypocracy of high management . From my experience the hypocracy will never stop especially in different types of politics . Air Malta plc used to finance tourism and I can confirm this. Hope that all if us learn from this and this may be shown to MTA because I am still waiting for JUSTICE.

[@AgataKaminska84]

It wasnt the last flight. I saw air Malta today 3/04 coming to Heathrow before 10 am.

[@Person4148better]

Would have been a delivery flight to another airline like BA.

[@flightwithroblox]

they don't say in the video that ryannair will take all the malta airport and it will be a losw cost carrier hub with no regular flights

[@McAero08]

Which is not the case. There will be a successor airline. And also Air Malta in the last 20 years never turned a profit. The had 1400 staff for 9 Aircraft. The new airline has 400 for 8….

[@flightwithroblox]

@@McAero08 ok it's incredible to have a succesor because air malta was a good airline thanks for the information

[@roguewave1060]

I wend scuba diving in Malta in summer 2020 and had a great time! In 2022 I wanted to return, but Malta was closed for everybody who hadn't take the C19💉so let them go bankrupt! 😃

[@captainemergency7477]

Wait what? I flew out of LHR on the 31st, and I saw an air Malta a320 landing on 09L, but it says the last flight was on the 30th?!

[@Person4148better]

It would have been a delivery flight to send the aircraft to another airline like BA, air Malta would have sold their aircraft months in advance to their final flight

[@captainemergency7477]

@@Person4148better oh yeah that makes sense, thanks for clearing that up, I was wondering why I saw that landing after the airline had gone out of service 😂

[@lactoese]

It’s an April fools.

[@lactoese]

@@Person4148betterno it’s aprils fools joke. If it was a delivery it would fly to Cardiff, ba maintenance base.

[@Person4148better]

@@lactoese ye I guess that makes sense

[@Ben-xe8ps]

It is not entirely true that Air Malta (KM) is only 50 years old. It was 50 years ago that they started operating flights with their own aircraft, but prior to that KM flights did exist operated by BEA aircraft.

[@robertwhelan9132]

Grazzi ☺️

[@andrewbrowning9755]

The trouble was from flying from Birmingham they were always horrible flight times

[@thatmalteseguy]

this clickbait. I literally saw an Air malta plane 2 days ago 💀

[@spider23000]

But theyre just replacing it with a new airline, which will takeover the aircraft and most staff. The same as Greece and Italy have both done in the past few years. It is emotional, slightly, but in reality it's business as usual. Its only on paper that its a new airline.

[@Zelielz1]

The goverment is just replacing it with KM Malta Airlines haha

[@JG-zb4mz]

Same aircrafts, new name, whats the big deal?

[@bigd4561]

It's not to us but to those that worked there, it is. Aviation people are romantics. It's often more than a job. I have traveled and lived internationally. As much as people have bashed Air Canada, as a Canadian coming home, I was always glad to see the logo. Irrational.

[@Suursaadik]

Sad, I flew it from Malta to Rome in 2008. 😕

[@user-kk8hq4dm8k]

Nepotism much 😂😂😂