Malta has a single airport that serves the whole archipelago, also thanks to the short distances and the very central position with respect to the rest of the territory. There are no railways on the island, so the alternative to the private car is not the train but the public service which obviously includes buses. The most important “stations” here, in fact, are the terminus of the bus lines.
AIRPORTS
Malta International Airport (MLA)
Malta’s first airport was a British RAF military airstrip, converted into a civilian airport in 1958. The old structure, located in the village of Luqa, was completely renovated during the 1980s and finally inaugurated in 1992.
Today Malta International Airport consists of a single large terminal, full of services – such as restaurants, shops, hotels, police stations, banks and obviously car rental services and shuttles with driver. Also part of the terminal complex is a VIP Center and a large Meetings Hall, which is used for many major events.
From the 1990s to today, passenger traffic has risen from 3 million per year to almost 6 million per year, and the airport also functions as a freight yard and as an area for military aviation. It works with two long runways (the longest is over 3-km long) and is well connected to the rest of the island, in particular by bus and taxi services, both public and private. Malta airport mainly welcomes scheduled flights from Europe and North Africa, but it also has space for intercontinental and low-cost flights which, especially in summer, drive local air traffic.
BUS STATIONS
Valletta Bus Terminal
The largest bus station on the island is that of the capital Valletta. Located right in the heart of the old city, not far from the ancient walls and the Main Harbour, it welcomes vehicles from all over the island and allows tourists to immediately find themselves in the core of the major city’s itineraries. Obviously it is equipped with the main services even if, having the city around, it can enjoy all the comforts one could wish for.
Malta International Airport Bus Terminal
The other major hub for Maltese buses is that of the airport which obviously connects the airport to the main tourist resorts of the island.
Other major bus stations
The bus terminals of Ross, in the seaside town of St Julian’s, and that of Victoria, on the island of Gozo are also important for the movements of tourism in Malta. Also consider the Cirkewwa Ferry/Bus Interchange station. It is located on the extreme northern tip of the island of Malta and grants direct access to the embarkation of the ferries that cross the small strait between Malta and Gozo. Here arrive the busloads of tourists bound for Gozo, and the vehicles that welcome returning tourists in order to take them back to the airport in Malta.