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Flight compensation in Malta: delays, cancellations and how to claim

Malta International is Malta’s only airport and the hub of KM Malta Airlines; Ryanair’s Malta Air and Wizz Air Malta are also licensed in Malta. EU261 covers every departure from Malta, whatever the airline, and flights to Malta from outside the EU, Norway, Iceland and Switzerland when an airline licensed in one of those countries operates them.

By the EU261 Flight Delay editorial team Last reviewed: How we write our guides

Check compensation or start a claim with AirHelp straight away

In short: Every flight departing from Malta is covered by EU261, whatever the airline: €250–€600 per passenger for a delay of 3 hours or more at arrival, a cancellation with less than 14 days’ notice or denied boarding – unless the airline proves extraordinary circumstances. Flights into Malta from outside the EU are covered only on EU airlines. Complain to the airline first, then to Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), and if needed go to court.

Which flights are covered

Your flightRulesWhich airlines
From Malta to anywhereEU261Any airline
From another EU/EEA country or Switzerland to MaltaEU261Any airline
From the UK to MaltaUK261 (EU261 too on an EU airline)Any airline
From outside Europe to MaltaEU261EU airlines only

Whatever the cause, from 2 hours’ delay the airline must also provide meals and drinks, and a hotel if you are stuck overnight; after a cancellation or a 5-hour delay you can choose a refund. Care and refunds.

Check your flight from Malta

Two minutes, free, no sign-up.

What happened?Step 1 of 4

What happened to your flight?
Where did you fly from and to?

With a connection, enter your first departure and your final destination – compensation is based on the total distance.

How late did you arrive at your final destination?

What counts is when the aircraft doors opened at your destination – not the departure delay.

When were you told about the cancellation?
When did you arrive on the replacement flight?
Which airline operated the flight?
When was the flight?

How many passengers were on the booking?

1 passenger

Every passenger gets their own compensation, children too. Infants under 2 without their own seat do not count.

  • Free, no sign-up
  • Fee only if successful (35%)
  • AirHelp: Trustpilot 4.5/5

Rather skip the questions? Start a claim with AirHelp straight away

How much: example routes from Malta

Compensation per passenger for a 3-hour-plus delay or a late cancellation on the busiest international routes (Eurostat 2024):

RouteDistanceOutboundReturn
Malta – Rome Fiumicino690 km€250€250
Malta – Catania187 km€250€250
Malta – Munich1,408 km€250€250
Malta – Frankfurt1,648 km€400€400
Malta – Vienna1,374 km€250€250
Malta – Istanbul1,375 km€250€250 (an EU airline)
Malta – Budapest1,347 km€250€250
Malta – Zurich1,381 km€250€250
Malta – Madrid Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas1,658 km€400€400
Malta – Athens872 km€250€250

How to claim in Malta

  1. Claim from the airline in writing – its online form or a letter (complaint letter generator). Keep your booking, boarding pass and receipts.
  2. National enforcement body: Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) – The MCCAA handles air passenger complaints and conciliation; if conciliation fails, claims of up to €10,000 can go to the Consumer Claims Tribunal. It deals with flights departing from Malta, and flights arriving there from outside the EU.
  3. Court: the local court for the departure or arrival airport, or – for cross-border cases – the European Small Claims Procedure.

Prefer not to do it yourself? A claims company does the work for a share of the compensation – see claim companies compared.

Airlines from Malta

Airports in Malta

Delay causes, busiest routes and seasonal patterns: flights to Malta · European delay statistics.

Strikes in Malta

No strikes affecting flights in Malta are announced in our strike calendar at the moment.

Strike days at Malta’s airports since 2024

EUROCONTROL recorded no arrival flow restrictions due to industrial action at Malta’s airports between January 2024 and 30 September 2026. Strikes by air traffic controllers elsewhere and by airline staff are not included. Check a specific day.

Good to know

  • If the MCCAA’s conciliation does not resolve your complaint, the Consumer Claims Tribunal hears claims up to €10,000 for a modest fee, and its decision is enforceable.
  • In EUROCONTROL’s 2025 data most arrival flow-control delay at Malta was attributed to airport capacity, with October the worst month.
  • ECC Malta refers questions about Maltese airlines and flights from Malta to the MCCAA as the national enforcement body.

Frequently asked questions

How much compensation can I get for a delayed flight in Malta?

Under EU261, €250 for flights up to 1,500 km, €400 for 1,500–3,500 km (and for every flight within the EU over 1,500 km) and €600 for longer flights (€300 if a long-haul flight arrives 3–4 hours late), per passenger, if you arrive 3 hours or more late and the airline cannot prove extraordinary circumstances. It does not matter where you live – only where you flew from, where to, and with which airline.

Where do I complain in Malta if the airline refuses to pay?

To Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA), the national enforcement body for Malta (The MCCAA handles air passenger complaints and conciliation; if conciliation fails, claims of up to €10,000 can go to the Consumer Claims Tribunal). It handles complaints about flights departing from Malta and flights arriving there from outside the EU.

How long do I have to claim in Malta?

The time limit depends on which country’s courts hear the claim, and we have not found an authoritative statement of the period for Malta. Claim as soon as you can, and check with Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) or the European Consumer Centre. See time limits by country.

I live in Malta but my flight left from another country. Where can I claim?

Your rights depend on the flight, not on where you live. For a flight between two EU countries you can sue in the courts for the place of departure or the place of arrival (CJEU C-204/08 Rehder); for cross-border cases the European Small Claims Procedure works by post and online. The enforcement body to complain to is the one in the country where the incident happened.

Information only, not legal advice. Enforcement bodies and dispute schemes as listed by the European Commission, checked November 2026.

Sources

  1. National enforcement bodies under Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 (updated 13 October 2026) – European Commission
  2. Air passenger rights – European Consumer Centre Malta
  3. Consumer Claims Tribunal – MCCAA
  4. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 – full text (Article 3: scope; recital 15: air traffic management decisions) – EUR-Lex
  5. Regulation (EC) No 261/2004 as it applies in the UK (UK261) – Article 3, scope – legislation.gov.uk
  6. UK flight punctuality statistics 2025 (flights by destination from UK airports) – UK Civil Aviation Authority
  7. Airport arrival ATFM (flow-control) delay data, 2024–2025 – EUROCONTROL Aviation Intelligence Unit
  8. Air passenger transport by reporting airport (avia_par), 2024 – Eurostat
  9. Eurostat – air passenger transport routes between partner airports and main airports (2024) – Eurostat
  10. EUROCONTROL – airport arrival ATFM delays (open performance data) – EUROCONTROL
  11. C-204/08 Rehder v Air Baltic (jurisdiction: place of departure or arrival) – EUR-Lex

We check every rule against the sources above. Spotted an error? Tell us – see our editorial policy.