Malta International Airport

A hilly site to the southwest of Valetta was selected in 1935 as an alternate to existing island facilites with poor weather records. By 1937 the site had been levelled and construction of 4 runways was under way. The first aircraft landed in Jun 1939 and RAF Luqa was established on 1 Apr 1940. The base was important for the wartime survival of Malta and as vital strategic support for domination of the Mediterranean between North Africa and Sicily. From 1943 as the Allies gained command of the sea routes, RAF Luqa became a reconnaisance base and a major staging post. The base played a key role in support of Suez Canal operations in 1956, as a bomber base for Valiant and Canberra and as a shore base for 845 Squadron's airborne assault Whirlwinds.

Malta became independent from the UK on 21 Sep 1964. A 10 year defence agreement had been signed but NATO forces were expelled in 1971 and the UK was ordered to leave after a change of government. The British negotiated an extension until 1979. In the meantime, the Maltese Government had recognised the potential for economic growth through tourism and in May 1972 a major extension programme was started at Luqa, resulting in a lengthening of the main (32/14) runway, which didn't complete until 1977.

Air Malta was set up at Luqa in 1973 and by 1978 had expanded into an ex-RAF hangar - in the same year Med-Avia was also established here. The British forces formally withdrew on 31 Mar 1979 and the Armed Forces of Malta Helicopter Flight (now the AFM Air Squadron) took over some ex-RAF facilities. Improvements have continued. In 1992 a new civil air terminal was opened and in April 2002, a new monopulse SSR radar head supplemented the existing equipment.