What will happen to your Air Malta bookings?

Passengers who’ve booked flights scheduled after 31 March 2024 with Air Malta cannot transfer their flights to the new national airline, but will be fully refunded, government has announced. 

During a press briefing by Prime Minister Robert Abela and finance minister Clyde Caruana, it was explained that Air Malta will continue to operate flights until 30 March 2024. Here government addressed travellers’ most pressing questions ahead of the airline’s dissolution by the end of 2023.

Government had been seeking authorisation to pump €290 million to save the airline from bankruptcy after two previous unsuccessful restructuring attempts. Air Malta is beset by decades of political interference and bad management decisions that led to losses made worse during the COVID pandemic.

In order to claim their refunds, customers who’ve made their bookings directly with Air Malta are to send an email to [email protected], write a letter by post addressed to Skyparks Business Centre, Level 2, Malta International Airport, Luqa, or fill in a Refund Request Form at the Air Malta Office within the Malta International Airport.

Otherwise, if one had booked their flight through travel agents, the passenger should contact their travel agent to submit a refund request to Air Malta on their behalf.

Refund requests are to open on 1 November 2023.

More information regarding travel with the national airline includes the following:

• Customers can book flights operated by the new airline from 1 December 2023
• Customers are to rebook their own connecting flights in the case of cancelled bookings (after 30 March 2024)
• When booking new flights with the new airline, the new flights’ prices will not necessarily match those of the cancelled booking
• The new airline’s website and other distribution channels will open on 1 December 2023
• All codeshare reservations will be revoked. Customers who want more information should speak with the airline that issued their ticket
• Passengers with outstanding flight delays or baggage claims with Air Malta will be compensated “as quickly as possible.”
• Customers booked through group bookings will be refunded as Air Malta’s sales department will contact the group organiser

What happens to the current Air Malta Flypass Loyalty Program?

• Air Malta’s Flypass Loyalty Program will be closed and will not be transferred to the new airline.
• Air Malta will pay the value of all unclaimed miles on all active Flypass accounts as at 29th February 2024. 
• Customers will stop earning and redeeming miles by 29 February 2024
• Miles can only be redeemed for travel dates by 30 March 2024
• Existing Loyalty Program customers are to apply for the new program of the new airline, as details are yet to be announced
• The new Loyalty Program will start on 1 December 2023
• Any tickets booked using Flypass KMiles will continue to be valid and honoured, for flights up to 30th March 2024.
• Customers who’ve purchased tickets by redeeming miles from the Loyalty Program for travel dates on or after 31st March 2024 will have their tickets cancelled, and the relevant miles credited to the respective Flypass account.