Air Malta

History

Air Malta, the predecessor to today's KM Malta Airlines, was established in 1973 and began flying in 1974 as Malta's first national airline, quickly becoming a symbol of the island nation's post-independence identity and a key link for its vital tourism industry. Over nearly five decades, Air Malta built a network centered on European leisure and business routes from Malta International Airport, but the wholly state-owned carrier suffered chronic financial losses for much of its history, requiring repeated government bailouts and restructuring plans. EU state-aid rules ultimately made continued taxpayer support unsustainable, and the Maltese government elected to wind the airline down entirely rather than pursue another bailout. Air Malta ceased all flight operations on 31 March 2024, with its assets, routes, and much of its workforce transferred to a newly incorporated, debt-free national carrier, KM Malta Airlines, established on 2 October 2023 and also fully owned by the Government of Malta. KM Malta Airlines retained the historic KM IATA code and launched operations the same day Air Malta ceased flying, positioning itself as a leaner successor built around an all-new fleet.

Current Operations

KM Malta Airlines operates an all-Airbus A320neo fleet of around eight aircraft, among the youngest fleets in Europe, having won the 'Europe's Youngest Aircraft Fleet' award in 2025 with an average aircraft age of roughly 3.4 years. Flying from its hub at Malta International Airport, the carrier serves around 17 destinations across roughly a dozen European countries, including major cities such as London, Paris, Berlin, and Milan, with a new Tel Aviv route launching in May 2026. The airline does not belong to a global alliance but has built an extensive codeshare network with partners including Air France, KLM, Lufthansa Group carriers, ITA Airways, Turkish Airlines, and airBaltic to extend its effective reach well beyond its own route map. As the direct successor to Air Malta, which ceased operations on 31 March 2024, KM Malta Airlines was designed as a smaller, debt-free national carrier free of its predecessor's chronic losses, and remains wholly owned by the Government of Malta. Since its 2024 launch the airline has focused on steady, disciplined network growth rather than rapid expansion, prioritizing profitability and fleet efficiency over route count.

Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

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