Malta International Airport, inside and out

If there’s one thing about Malta that’s simple, it’s the airport. There’s just one for the whole country, in Luqa, a few kilometres from Valletta, with a single terminal you’ll have worked out within minutes. Here’s what’s inside, which opening hours are worth knowing and how to leave without overpaying.

One airport for the whole country

Malta International Airport’s postal address is in Luqa, and Gozo’s tourism ministry calls it Malta’s only airport. Gozo and Comino have no scheduled flights, so every plane comes in here. The two other ways in, the 1 h 45 min ferry from Sicily and the cruise ship, are in how to get to Malta. It handled 10,061,969 passengers in 2025, up from 8,957,451 the year before, and August 2026 went higher still with 1,204,465 in a single month.

Physically it’s a medium-sized airport, two runways of 2.4 and 3.5 km, a 72,000 m² terminal, 29 partner airlines and links to 35 countries. Which UK airports fly here is covered in flights to Malta, and for anyone combining Spain and Malta, the after-midnight landings from Barajas are in Madrid to Malta flights.

Inside the terminal

As you come through arrivals you’re in the Welcomers’ Hall, where most of the useful things are. The Malta Tourism Authority’s information office opens every day from 10:00 to 21:00, except Christmas Day, New Year’s Day, Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The pharmacy opens from 08:00 to 14:30 and 15:00 to 22:00, and the Malta Public Transport office from 08:00 to 19:30, with ticket machines beside it that work around the clock.

ATMs are in the check-in hall, the arrivals hall and Schengen departures near Gate 4, and the Wi-Fi is free. If you like watching planes, the Level 3 Observation Deck is open 24 hours, with an outdoor terrace over the airfield and an airport model inside. And something I appreciate anywhere, three water fountains for refilling a bottle. What the state water company says about drinking it is in can you drink tap water in Malta.

A small thing that makes the first hour easier. The tourist information office answers questions about all the Maltese islands, and the bus ticket machines work around the clock, so you’re not stuck if the ticket office has closed. There’s also a travel agency between check-in and arrivals, open Monday to Friday from 10:30 to 18:00, for last-minute accommodation.

Going home to the UK

Because the UK is outside Schengen, your flight home leaves from the non-Schengen departures area, with its own water fountain opposite Gate 17. Leave time for passport control on the way out. The Entry/Exit System, which gov.uk says replaces manual passport stamping, applies at Schengen’s external borders, and Luqa is one of them for British passengers.

If you have hours to kill, the La Valette Club lounges take one-time users as well as members, and there’s a separate VIP terminal for anyone willing to pay for the fastest route. There’s also left luggage and a bag-wrapping service. Smoking is only allowed outdoors in marked areas, by arrivals, on the Level 3 deck and opposite the bus terminal.

How do I get from the airport into town?

The bus stop is about 100 metres from the terminal, according to Gozo’s tourism ministry. From there Malta Public Transport runs its five Airport Direct lines, at €3 (€3.50 on the TD1), paid on board in cash or by contactless. Valletta is the TD4, Sliema and St Julian’s the TD3, St Julian’s and Pembroke the TD2, while the TD1 and TD5 run north to Buġibba, Mellieħa and the Gozo ferry.

The official taxi operator is Malta Taxi, and there’s a booth in arrivals selling prepaid tickets at fixed rates. I’d pay there before heading to the rank. Timings, prices and when each option wins are in Malta airport to Valletta.

Hire cars and parking

According to its own website, more than 30 hire firms work out of the airport. The catch is that their desks sit outside the terminal, on the first floor of Park East, the car park building a three-minute walk away, marked ‘Rental Cars’ on the signs. Traffic keeps left, which suits a British driver perfectly, and everything else worth knowing is in car hire in Malta.

gov.uk confirms a UK photocard licence is fine, and it’s also frank about the state of some roads, something to weigh up before picking the cheapest insurance. Anyone still holding the old paper licence should look into updating it or getting an international driving permit.

If you’re leaving your own car, there are open-air and covered car parks, 3,056 spaces in all, with a price calculator on the airport’s website. From here, Valletta is a short bus ride away.