By J · 16 May 2026 · Interviews
TL;DR — THE 30-SECOND VERSION
Malta Wings is a small Maltese operator that has been flying out of Malta International Airport since 2006 — sightseeing flights over Malta, Gozo and Comino in a Cessna 172, plus a twin-engine Tecnam P2006T for air taxi work across the central Mediterranean. The interview below is with Patrick Fenech, who runs the company.
- What it is: a 40-minute or 60-minute scenic flight over the Maltese islands, with the option of extending the route into Sicily, Lampedusa or Pantelleria as an air taxi.
- Why a small plane works here: low altitude, low speed, high-wing aircraft — cliffs, harbours, fortifications and turquoise water at sightseeing pace, not airline cruise height.
- Best time of day: before 10:00 or close to sunset, especially in summer. Patrick recommends the golden hour for the light.
- Time commitment: allow roughly two hours for the full visit — arrival, briefing, the 40 or 60-minute flight, and a few minutes after landing. Air taxi day trips to Sicily are full-day plans.
- Booking: through Malta Wings directly — they operate seven days a week and tailor routes to specific requests where possible.
- Who runs it: Patrick Fenech, CEO of Malta Wings, who answered every question below.
Why Malta looks different from a small plane · Twenty years of Malta Wings · What the islands actually look like from the air · Sightseeing flights vs. air taxi · Timing, weather and the golden hour · Sicily, Lampedusa and the air taxi option · Before you go — at a glance · Planning notes · FAQ
Why Malta looks different from a small plane
Most visitors see Malta from a ferry deck or a hotel rooftop. Both are good. Neither shows you the shape of the place. A scenic flight over Malta gets you the third view — the one where Valletta is a hand-sized peninsula, Comino is a flat green wafer between two bigger islands, and the line between cultivated terraces and the sea is suddenly obvious. The light also reveals details that ground-level photography rarely captures.
The unusual thing about doing this in Malta is the scale. The whole archipelago is small enough that a single 40-minute loop can cover Valletta, the Grand Harbour, the south coast, Comino and the Gozo coastline, all from a few thousand feet. You are not skimming a fragment of a continent. You are seeing the country.
We sent five questions about how this actually works in practice to Malta Wings, the operator that has been running flights out of Malta International Airport for the past 20 years. The answers came back from Patrick Fenech, who runs the company. They are reproduced below exactly as he sent them; the framing around them is ours. (If you like the format, the same approach sits behind our piece on the Malta Classic Car Collection.)
Twenty years of Malta Wings
Malta Wings was formed in 2006, and hence this is our 20th year. We offer a number of services: sightseeing flights, aerial photography, air taxi, Garmin aviation products, and more. All services are customised to meet the needs and demand of the customer. For instance, one can have an air taxi flight combined with sightseeing of the Maltese islands on the way out and in. Or even an air taxi flight with sightseeing over Sicily. Or a trip visiting Lampedusa in the morning, then flying to Pantelleria in the evening and then the next day flying to Trapani before returning to Malta in the evening. The options are various.
Two things stand out from that answer if you are a visitor. First: this is not a one-product operation. The same fleet that flies a 40-minute scenic loop in the morning is also doing aerial photography commissions, Garmin product work, and full-day cross-water charters in the afternoon. Second: routes are not pre-baked. If you want a specific stretch of coast, or a particular island, or a particular order of stops, the assumption is that the route will be drawn around the request rather than the other way round.
What the islands actually look like from the air
The colours and the different highlights: from the cliffs to the clear turquoise waters to the fortifications. We fly at the right altitude and speed to make sightseeing over Malta a unique and amazing experience.
The three elements Patrick lists — cliffs, water, fortifications — are also the three things the islands are hardest to read from the ground. The cliffs along Malta’s south coast and along Gozo’s south and west sides do not really announce themselves from a coastal road; from a few thousand feet up you see the full vertical wall and the platforms above it. The fortifications around Valletta and the Three Cities only resolve into one continuous bastion system from above. And the colour gradient over a sandy bay — sand to pale aquamarine to deep blue — works almost like a depth chart when you are looking straight down.
The high-wing Cessna and the Tecnam are well suited to this kind of work: the wings sit above the cabin rather than below, so passengers in every seat have a clear downward view rather than looking out across a wing.
Sightseeing flights vs. air taxi — what is the difference?
Sightseeing flights are normally done over the Maltese Islands. We offer the 40 minute and also the 60 minute flight. On the other hand, air taxi is used to go from A to B. It could be for a business meeting, to spend a day with someone special, or to simply take a connecting flight at another airport.
The split is mostly about intent. A sightseeing flight is the flight itself — you take off from Malta International, fly a loop, and land back at Malta International. An air taxi is point-to-point: the flight exists so that you can be somewhere else. The same aircraft, pilots and equipment are used for both.
If you are visiting Malta for a week and want one really memorable hour in the air, the 40 or 60-minute sightseeing flight is the obvious answer. If you are based in Malta and want to spend a day in Sicily or visit Lampedusa, the air taxi route is the one to look at.
Timing, weather and the golden hour
We operate 7 days a week. Our routes cover most of the highlights that our islands have to offer, however we also entertain specific requests wherever possible. When it comes to timing, we do recommend flying before 10:00 or before sunset; especially in the hot summer months. The golden hour is the most famous, and comes with beautiful light that kisses the landscape in a particular manner.
Two practical things follow from that answer. First, the recommended summer windows are early morning and the run-up to sunset, partly for thermal comfort in the cabin and partly because the light is friendlier for photography. Mid-afternoon over a small island in July is hot whether you are on the ground or 2,000 feet above it, and the light is at its harshest. Second, the route is not entirely fixed: there is a default loop, but a specific request — fly past my hotel, do an extra pass over Comino, follow the south cliffs — can usually be accommodated as long as the conditions and air traffic allow.
Weather is the one variable nobody controls. Malta’s wind picks up most in winter and early spring, and the operator’s call on whether a given slot will fly is final. If you are squeezing a flight into a tight visit, build a back-up slot into the trip rather than treating the first booking as the only chance.
Sicily, Lampedusa and the air taxi option
This option gives full freedom: one can normally decide where to fly to and when. We are also not limited only to international airports. One can also fly to Marina Di Modica for instance. Apart from the freedom, one has full privacy too. A lot of passengers we carry find the experience unique as they also get to see what our experienced pilots are doing: in fact it is like being in the flight deck with the pilot, following the communications with air traffic too.
The Tecnam P2006T can use airfields that scheduled airlines cannot, which is the part of the air taxi service most travellers underestimate. Marina di Modica (in south-eastern Sicily) is a small general aviation strip, not a commercial airport — landing there gets you within minutes of Modica, Ragusa Ibla and the Val di Noto baroque towns. The same logic applies to Lampedusa and Pantelleria: scheduled flights to either are limited in frequency, while an air taxi can be scheduled around your day rather than the airline’s.
Patrick’s other point about the cockpit experience is worth taking literally. Passengers on a small charter sit close enough to the pilot to hear the air-traffic communications in their own headset, watch the approach plates, and follow the descent into a foreign airport in real time. For most people that is the part of the day they end up describing first when they get home.
Before you go — Malta Wings at a glance
| Detail | What to know |
|---|---|
| Base | Malta International Airport, Luqa — near Security Gate 1 — 📍 Google Maps |
| Operating days | Seven days a week, weather permitting. |
| Aircraft | Four-seat Cessna 172 (single engine) and twin-engine Tecnam P2006T. Both high-wing, both flown by commercial pilots with thousands of hours. |
| Sightseeing options | 40-minute and 60-minute scenic flights over the Maltese islands. Day and night sightseeing on the P2006T. |
| Air taxi range | Operates throughout Europe and North Africa. Common routes include Sicily (Catania, Trapani, Marina di Modica), Lampedusa and Pantelleria. |
| Other services | Aerial photography and surveillance, air cargo (up to 70 kg), Garmin aviation products. |
| Best timing | Before 10:00 or close to sunset, especially in summer. The hour before sunset is the most-requested slot for photographers. |
| Booking | Direct with Malta Wings. Specific requests on routing are entertained where conditions allow. |
| Website | maltawings.com |
Planning notes for a scenic flight over Malta
How long the day actually takes. A 40 or 60-minute sightseeing flight is the flying time, not the total. Allow for arrival at Security Gate 1 at Malta International Airport, a short safety briefing, the flight itself, and a few minutes after landing. Plan on roughly two hours for a one-hour flight, more if you are travelling in from the north of the island.
Best time of day, by season. Summer mornings before 10:00 are calmer, cooler in the cabin and easier for photography; the run-up to sunset gives the golden-hour light Patrick mentions, and is the most-requested slot for visiting photographers. In winter, the middle of the day is usually fine — the heat is no longer a factor and the air can actually be steadier in the middle hours. Our month-by-month weather guide covers when the wind is most likely to cancel a slot.
What to bring. Sunglasses, your phone or camera, a layer if you are flying close to sunset, and a small bag rather than a backpack. Headsets are provided. Motion-sickness sensitive passengers should consider taking something an hour beforehand; the flight is at low altitude and small movements are felt more than on a commercial jet.
Pair it with. A flight is a strong opener to a day rather than a closer. From the airport, you are roughly 15 minutes from Valletta and the Three Cities, and around 30 from Mdina. From above you will have seen exactly where Mdina sits in the middle of the island — landing then driving there closes the loop. If the flight goes over Comino, our guide to Comino and Cominotto covers how to get back to the same water at sea level on a different day.
If you are based in Sliema or St Julian’s. The taxi to Security Gate 1 at Malta International Airport is short — 15 to 20 minutes outside rush hour. From Bugibba and Mellieħa it is closer to 40 minutes. Build that into the morning rather than the booked flight time.
An honest note on what a small plane is not. A scenic flight is not a helicopter ride. The Cessna 172 and Tecnam P2006T are fixed-wing aircraft. You will not hover, you will not stop, and the route is flown as a continuous loop. The trade-off is a longer experience over more of the country at lower cost than a comparable rotary-wing flight, with the high-wing layout giving every seat a clear downward view.
Other interview pieces. Same approach, different subject: the Malta Classic Car Collection in Qawra.
FAQ
How many passengers can fit on a Malta Wings sightseeing flight?
The Cessna 172 carries up to three passengers plus the pilot. The twin-engine Tecnam P2006T also carries up to three passengers plus the pilot. Both are high-wing aircraft, so every passenger seat has a clear downward view rather than looking out across a wing.
Where do the flights take off from?
From Security Gate 1 at Malta International Airport in Luqa — the same airport scheduled airlines use, but a separate apron and terminal area. You do not check in at the main commercial terminal.
Are headsets provided, and can I talk to the pilot during the flight?
Yes. The cabin intercom connects every passenger to the pilot, and on a charter you can also hear the air-traffic communications. That is part of what Patrick describes as “being in the flight deck with the pilot” — you are not isolated in a passenger cabin.
Is it suitable if I have never flown in a small aircraft before?
Yes, for most people. The flight is at low altitude and at sightseeing speed rather than airline cruise speed; the aircraft is small enough that movement is more noticeable than on a jet, but the routes are flown gently and the pilots are commercial-rated. If you are sensitive to motion, take something for it an hour beforehand and choose an early-morning slot rather than the middle of a hot summer day.
Can I take photographs from the aircraft?
Yes — both the Cessna 172 and the Tecnam P2006T are well set up for hand-held photography, and the high-wing layout helps a lot. The golden hour around sunset is the most-requested time for visiting photographers, for the obvious reason. If you have a specific shot in mind, mention it when you book; routing is flexible where conditions allow.
What is the difference between the Cessna 172 and the Tecnam P2006T?
The Cessna 172 is the workhorse single-engine four-seater that has trained pilots worldwide for decades; Malta Wings uses it for shorter sightseeing flights over the islands. The Tecnam P2006T is a modern Italian twin-engine four-seater with longer range, twin redundancy, and the option of day and night sightseeing. Both fly the same airspace; the choice between them on a given day depends on the route, the slot and availability.
Can the flight be cancelled if the weather is bad?
Yes. Small-aircraft flying is more weather-sensitive than scheduled airline flying, particularly for wind. If conditions are not safe or not suitable, the slot is moved rather than flown. Build a back-up window into your trip rather than treating the first booking as the only chance.
How do air taxi flights to Sicily, Lampedusa or Pantelleria work?
You agree the route and the day with Malta Wings directly. The Tecnam P2006T can use small general-aviation strips that scheduled airlines do not, so destinations such as Marina di Modica are on the table alongside the larger commercial airports. Day trips that include a morning in one destination and an afternoon in another — Patrick gives the Lampedusa-then-Pantelleria example in the interview above — are the kind of itinerary the operator builds around your day rather than its schedule.
Is Malta Wings a registered commercial operator?
Yes. Malta Wings holds an Air Operators Certificate and operates as a commercial air-transport business, not a flying-club ride-share. The pilots are commercial-rated with thousands of hours.
Is night sightseeing actually a thing in Malta?
Yes — Malta Wings runs night sightseeing on the Tecnam P2006T. Malta is small enough that on a clear night you can see Valletta, the Grand Harbour and large stretches of the coastline lit up at once, with the inland villages outlined by streetlights. It is a different product from a daytime scenic flight, not a substitute.
Can I combine a flight with a day in Sicily?
This is one of the more interesting options. Patrick describes itineraries that combine a sightseeing loop over the Maltese islands with onward sightseeing over Sicily, or that drop you into a small Sicilian airfield in the morning and bring you back the same evening. The choice of arrival airport — including small general-aviation strips — is part of what makes the air taxi service different from a scheduled flight.
Last updated: May 2026.
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