Did you know? Malta's Luqa airport opened in 1940 and only became fully civil in 1979

Malta International Airport at Luqa began life as an all-weather airfield with tarmac runways that opened on 1 April 1940, according to the history published by Transport Malta's Civil Aviation Directorate.

The timing shaped the airport's first decades. Civil flights stopped in June 1940, and during the Second World War Malta's airfields, Luqa included, were used for military purposes, mainly by RAF bomber and reconnaissance aircraft. After the war, civil air transport resumed at Luqa with a small terminal, followed by a larger terminal in 1958.

The jet age arrived in stages. In 1966 runway 24-06 was extended to 7,800 feet, allowing the first civil jet transports to land, and the first instrument landing system was installed. Runway 14-32 was extended to 11,000 feet and fitted with a Category 2 instrument landing system, opening on 1 October 1977.

On 1 April 1979, after the RAF withdrew, Luqa became fully civil and was run solely by Maltese personnel. A new terminal opened in 1992, and on 1 May 1998 Malta International Airport plc took over operational management, while the Department of Civil Aviation became a regulator.

Travellers landing at Luqa today arrive at an airport with more than eight decades of history; current terminal and flight information should be checked with the airport operator.