REVIEW: Malta International Airshow 2023
The Malta International Airshow returned in September 2023 with a confidence that reflected its growing stature on the European calendar. After the cautious revival of 2021, this year’s edition expanded in scale and ambition, supported by the Maltese Government, the national tourism office, and fuel company Enemed. The Malta Aviation Society, under new leadership with Massimo Farrugia as president, guided the event into a new era. The switch in display direction to the UK-based R5 Air Displays under Charles Skiera also signalled a fresh chapter. While the event’s framework echoed that of 2021, the blend of aircraft on show and the breadth of international support gave the weekend a very different flavour.
There was a buzz around the island well before the opening day. For many locals, the chance to see rare aircraft close up remains a special occasion, and the organisers cleverly tied the airshow into the cultural rhythm of the north coast, sharing the weekend with the Destination North Festival at Bugibba and Qawra. The seaside location at St Paul’s Bay again proved a natural theatre for flying displays, its arc of coastline framing the aircraft against the Mediterranean. Unfortunately, the weather had its say: Saturday went ahead with full flying, but a strong northerly wind forced the cancellation of the second day despite clear skies.
On the ground, visitors were treated to a twin-site static display at Malta International Airport, split between the SR Technics apron and Safi Aviation Park. Fears of long waits between sites proved unfounded; the shuttle system linking them ran with smooth efficiency, allowing enthusiasts to move quickly between the two areas. The larger park gave crews room to showcase their machines properly, with well-spaced parking and fewer bottlenecks than earlier editions. For families and casual visitors, the arrangement made for a relaxed day with space to linger around each aircraft rather than a crush of people jostling for photographs.
The static line-up itself was one of the strongest seen in recent years. A rare highlight came from across the Atlantic in the form of a United States Air Force Boeing TC-135W Stratolifter, one of only two such trainers in service and normally dedicated to preparing crews for RC-135 Rivet Joint operations. Its distinctive profile, lacking many of the antennae of the operational type but retaining the long nose and cheek fairings, drew crowds throughout the weekend. Italy once again sent a broad cross-section of types: a Leonardo SH-101A Merlin from the Italian Navy, a Leonardo AW169 and ATR P-72B from the Guardia di Finanza, a Leonardo AW139CP from the Guardia Costiera, and a Leonardo UH-139C from the Polizia di Stato. Their combined presence demonstrated Italy’s depth across maritime, security, and law-enforcement aviation.
Germany’s Luftwaffe contributed two Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, while the Royal Netherlands Air Force sent an AS532U2 Cougar helicopter, the French Air and Space Force displayed a SOCATA TBM-700, and the Irish Air Corps returned with a Pilatus PC-12 NG Spectre. From Eastern Europe, the Polish Air Force brought a Lockheed C-130E Hercules and the Romanian Air Force exhibited an Antonov An-26. The Royal Navy maintained its historic links to Malta with a pair of Beechcraft Avenger T.1 observer trainers, while the Armed Forces of Malta put forward a varied selection of types including the Beechcraft B200 Super King Air, a Britten-Norman BN-2T Defender, a Leonardo AW139, and the long-serving Aérospatiale SA 316B Alouette III. Civil operators filled out the line with business and training types, among them Harmony Jets’ Dassault Falcon 100 and aircraft from local flight schools such as the Diamond DA42 Twin Star and Piper PA-28 Cherokee.
Once spectators had explored the static parks, attention shifted to the bay where the flying programme unfolded on Saturday. The Armed Forces of Malta opened with a patriotic formation of a Britten-Norman BN-2T Defender, an Aérospatiale Alouette III, and a Leonardo AW139, the latter then breaking away to conduct a lively Search and Rescue demonstration with divers lowered into the choppy water. A different kind of elegance came from a Dassault Falcon 7X of Maltese operator Skyfirst, flown by Dassault test pilots in a routine that showcased both the grace and the surprising manoeuvrability of the large trijet.
History returned to Maltese skies courtesy of Austria’s Flying Bulls, who presented a North American B-25J Mitchell, a Lockheed P-38L Lightning, and two Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet A trainers. Their arrival, with a sweeping turn that exposed their upper wings to the crowd, was as stylish as it was evocative. For many older visitors, the sight of the Mitchell and Lightning carried echoes of Malta’s wartime past.
The jet solo displays added a cutting edge to the programme. Turkey’s Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon SoloTürk routine delivered its trademark energy, complete with dramatic flare releases. Poland’s F-16C Tiger Demo Team made its Maltese debut in equally spectacular fashion, running an aggressive sequence of afterburner passes and tight aerobatics that underscored the type’s frontline role. Switzerland’s McDonnell Douglas F/A-18C Hornet, flown by Captain Yannick “Fönsi” Zanata in his farewell international season, combined precision and power in a display punctuated by heavy flare use, a fitting close to the pilot’s overseas career.
Adding variety was the Slovenian Air Force’s Pilatus PC-9M Hudournik, a nimble turboprop trainer capable of light-attack duties, whose display highlighted rapid rolls and a dramatic spin recovery. The undisputed crowd-pleaser, however, was the Royal Air Force Red Arrows, whose BAE Systems Hawk T1A formation painted the Maltese colours across the sky in a finale that resonated strongly with the thousands watching along the bay.
The final salute of the weekend came from Malta’s own Aérospatiale SA 316B Alouette III, carrying the national flag in what will be one of its last appearances before retirement. Its story—abandoned airframes from Libya in 1980, refurbished and brought into Maltese service a decade later—gives the type a special place in the nation’s aviation history. Seeing it close the show was a poignant reminder of continuity and change in the Air Wing.
Though Sunday’s cancellations inevitably disappointed, the strength of Saturday’s flying, combined with one of the richest static displays the show has assembled, made 2023 a clear success. The mixture of rarity, heritage, and frontline muscle is what sets Malta apart, and thanks to the work of the Malta Aviation Society and its volunteers, the island once again secured its place on the international airshow map.
