Malta International Airport
MLA · Luqa, Malta
MLA · Luqa, Malta
A single terminal, compact enough to walk end to end: you land, collect your bag 250 metres from the arrivals door, and the bus stops, taxi rank and car-hire building are all a few minutes from the exit.
Airport guide, Malta. Meridian Dispatch.
Airport Direct bus TD4 leaves the stops in front of the terminal every 30 minutes, and the fare is paid on board by cash or contactless card. By taxi it is 7.6 km by road, on a fixed-fare ticket from the booth in the Welcomers' Hall.
Yes. Uber, Bolt and eCabs all serve the airport. A ride is requested after landing, and the app shows the pickup area with walking directions. Bolt says its pickup spot can change, so the app is the guide on the day.
No. Containers up to 2 litres stay in hand luggage, with no plastic bag, and laptops and tablets stay in the bag too. Many other EU airports still apply the 100 ml rule, so the flight home may be stricter.
No. The Airport Direct TD routes sit outside the free travel scheme. Pay on board by cash or contactless card; an Unlimited Travel Card covers them at no extra cost.
In the Luggage Deposit room in the Check-in Hall, next to the Customer Services Information Centre, open 24/7. A passport or ID card is shown on deposit, bags must be locked, and payment is on collection by card or cash.
Bus TD1 runs to Ċirkewwa for the Gozo Channel car ferry to Mġarr, and TD4 runs to Valletta for the Gozo Fast Ferry. Gozo Channel takes no reservations: tickets are bought before boarding, and boarding is first come, first served.
Yes. Free Wi-Fi is available in the terminal, and charging points are spread across the building, so phones and other devices can be topped up before boarding.
Not inside the terminal. Smoking is allowed in designated outdoor areas: near the arrivals side, on the Observation Deck at Level 3, and at the departures drop-off points opposite the bus terminal. After security, Relish customers may use its terrace.
Only briefly. The first 10 minutes in any of the airport car parks are free, and after the first 24 hours every further day or part of a day is charged in full. Surface car parks and Park East are the options.
Every way out of the airport to the places most arrivals are going, with the road distance from the terminal.
| To | Distance | By bus |
|---|---|---|
| Valletta | 7.6 km by road | TD4, every 30 minutes, from stop Airport 1. First listed departure 05:20, last 00:50. |
| Sliema | 10.4 km by road | TD3, every 30 minutes, from stop Airport 1A, by way of Msida and Gżira. First listed departure 05:15, last 00:45. |
| St Julian's | 10.2 km by road | TD2, every 30 minutes, from stop Airport 1A, on to Pembroke. First listed departure 05:00, last 00:30. TD3 also ends in St Julian's after Sliema. |
| St Paul's Bay and Buġibba | 18.6 km by road | TD1, hourly. Regular route 214 runs about hourly from stop Airport 2, first listed departure 05:30. |
| Mellieħa | 23.4 km by road | TD1, hourly, by way of Rabat and Buġibba. |
| Mdina and Rabat | 11.7 km by road | TD1, hourly, first stop Rabat. Mdina's gate is a short walk from Rabat. |
| Gozo | 28.9 km to Ċirkewwa | Car ferry: TD1, hourly, to Ċirkewwa, then the Gozo Channel ferry to Mġarr. Buy the ferry ticket at the booth or online before boarding; there are no reservations. Fast ferry: TD4, every 30 minutes, to Valletta for the Gozo Fast Ferry. |
| Marsaxlokk | 5.7 km by road | No direct bus. Taxi or app. |
| Birgu | 6.6 km by road | No direct bus. Taxi or app. |
| Marsaskala | 8.4 km by road | Regular route 119, hourly from stop Airport 2, from 06:00 to 22:00. |
Buses: pay on board by cash or contactless card. Airport Direct buses have room for luggage; on regular routes, bags must not block the aisle. Times are the first and last departures on the operator's route pages; check the route for your day of travel.
Only if your flight comes from outside the Schengen area. Non-EU passport holders may be sent to the Entry-Exit System lanes, where a passport scan, photo and fingerprints are taken; children under 12 give a photo only. There is nothing to register in advance.
About 250 m from the arrivals entrance. There is a free water fountain next to the Dufry shop and an assistance call point by Belt 5.
Arriving from outside the EU, take the green channel with nothing to declare or the red channel if you have. Limits apply to cigarettes, spirits and cash.
The taxi booth sells fixed-fare tickets by destination, 24 hours. The Tourist Information Desk opens 10:00 to 21:00, the pharmacy 08:00 to 14:30 and 15:00 to 22:00, and there are ATMs.
Taxi stands are 90 m from Baggage Reclaim. The bus stops, Airport 1, 1A and 2, line the forecourt. For a hire car, follow the RENTAL CARS signs to Park East, three minutes on foot, and collect keys on Level 1.
Check-in to security is about 250 m, and check-in to the gates about 400 m. Security here lets you leave most things packed.
The 100 ml rule still applies at many EU airports, so pack for the strictest one on your trip. If security takes an item, it can be kept for you only if it fits a sealed A4 envelope; collect it from the Security Office, Administration Offices, second floor, between 08:00 and 13:00.
Special assistance is free and booked through your airline at least 48 hours before you fly. Without a booking, ask at a call point at least two hours ahead, or at the gate no later than 45 minutes before departure.
Before security, the Food Court is on Level -1. After security, choose by gate: Veràni sits between gates 4 and 5, Hard Rock Cafe faces gate 9, and Costa is in the non-Schengen hall.
There are free water fountains after security opposite gate 10 and gate 17, and in Baggage Reclaim, so carry an empty bottle through.
Malta is small enough that a long connection can include the island. Leave your bag at the 24/7 Luggage Deposit in the Check-in Hall first; it takes locked bags with no valuables, and you show a passport or ID card.
This winter's schedule links Malta with more than 80 airports in 31 countries. KM Malta Airlines, the national carrier, flies to 17 of them; Ryanair flies to the most.
Winter 2026/27 schedule, November to March. Delta flies New York JFK in summer only.
As of November 2026, Bir Miftuħ chapel opens inside only on the first Sunday of the month, 09:30 to 12:00, or by appointment with Din l-Art Ħelwa; on other days you see it from outside.
The official pages this guide was checked against.
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