Malta International Airport

Continent: Europe

Country: Malta

Malta International Airport (MLA/LMML)
Location	Malta
IATA code	MLA
ICAO code	LMML
Airport type	Mixed-Use Commercial
Website	http://www.maltairport.com/
Overview map	[ ]
Communications
Tower
Ground
Clearance
Approach
ATIS

MLA is the only airport for fixed-wing aircraft in Malta. It has two runways. Runway 14/32, the longer one at 3.5 km, is normally used for commercial passenger traffic while 06/24 (length 2.4 km) tends to be used by light aircraft.

MLA offers a variety of aircraft types and liveries to the spotter. However, the volume of traffic is limited and even at its summertime peak there are significant inactive periods during the day. Photographers who are considering a trip to Malta should consult the flight schedules in the airport's official website, which are available two weeks in advance, to plan their visit accordingly.

That said, MLA is a very spotter-friendly airport both in terms of the availability of good vantage-points for photography and in the sense that photography is officially tolerated.

Official Spotting Locations

Terminal viewing gallery

Offers an excellent view of Park 9 (the main apron for passenger aircraft) but is behind glass and reflections are an obstacle.

Time of day: Morning only as in most positions on the ramp aircraft will be backlit in the afternoon.

Directions: The viewing gallery is located on the 3rd floor of the tower between the arrival and departure halls. If arriving by car, you can park in the airport car park; otherwise see the section on facilities and transportation below.

A note about sample photos: indicative focal lengths refer to 35mm format and you need to apply the crop factor appropriate to your camera, e.g. divide by 1.6 for a Canon 350D or 20D.

• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large (Airbus A320 on ramp - c.40mm)
• Airliners.net sample photo: medium large (Bombardier Global Express taxiing - 100mm)

Other Spotting Locations

Location

Additional locations to be inputted.

Regular Traffic

The most important airline at MLA is obviously Air Malta, but it is not the only local operator. British Jet - a Maltese airline, name notwithstanding - operates a single MD-90 on flights to various UK destinations. Another company, European 2000 Airlines, operates a pair of Fairchild Metros which can often be seen in Park 3 when not in use. There is also an air taxi company which operates a Learjet 60, and two flying schools which contribute to a fairly lively general aviation scene. Also worth mentioning is the Armed Forces of Malta Air Squadron, which operates a mix of helicopters and light aircraft.

Scheduled airlines which fly to Malta include British Airways, Alitalia and Lufthansa using mostly a mix of A319s, A320s and A321s; and Emirates with A330s. BA flights are operated by GB Airways flying in BA livery. Other regular visitors include Austrian Airlines, SAS, Sterling, Finnair and Tuninter (flying ATR turboprops). Regular charter airlines include My Travel, First Choice, Thomas Cook and Thomsonfly. Some of these are seasonal: in summer traffic increases considerably. As already mentioned, the best bet for the overseas visitor is to consult the flight schedules on the MLA website.

Facilities and Transportation

There is a regular bus service (route 8) from Valletta to the airport terminal via Gudja. In addition, routes 32 and 34 (Valletta-Zurrieq) and 35 (Valletta-Qrendi) all serve a bus stop within easy reach of the terminal and walking distance to spot 2.5, which is the best spot for photography.