Malta International Airshow 2025
The final major international event of European display season in 2025 was the popular Malta International Airshow. The event is split between static displays at Malta International Airport and a weekend flying display off the coast of St Paul’s Bay. While the Malta International Airshow may not be the biggest of the year, it without fail attracts some very rare and unusual participants. This year saw some exceptional support from the German Luftwaffe and Italian air arms plus a pair of gems from Eastern Europe in the static display.
Paul Johnson/Flightline UK reports. All photography by the author.
There a no other airshows quite like Malta. Organised by the Malta Aviation Society (MAS), it has carved out a reputation over 28 editions for bringing together nations from all over the globe including Europe, North Africa, the Middle East and North America. Many of the nations have sent aircraft not often seen, if at all, at other airshows so it has become a firm favourite with enthusiasts seeking something different. That success is all thanks to the very enthusiastic and hard-working members of MAS. In recent years, the show has been transformed from an event with an uncertain future into one that is attracting plenty of support from local business as well as the tourism authorities.
One well-known brand really supporting the show this was Easyjet Engineering. Not only was some of their valuable apron space made available for the flying display aircraft, but the static display visitors could tour (but not photograph!) their brand-new hangar complex which is situated on the former airshow showground.
As in 2023, the static displays were split between two apron areas around Malta International Airport. Visitors could enter the static displays at the Easyjet Engineering facilities with parking on adjacent land which is part of the Montekristo Estate. This perhaps was the only negative as visitors arriving by car were forced to walk down a stretch of road which is perhaps not the safest, particularly when the car park entrance had changed from previous years and there were a few frustrated drivers having to turn around and re-join the road! However, once in it was all very well organised with regular shuttle buses to and from the other static display area at Safi Aviation Park.
Making a welcome return to the static area was the United States Air Force Boeing TC-135W Stratolifter from the 55th Wing based at Offutt Air Base in Nebraska. The TC-135W is a training aircraft for aircrew posted to the 55th Wing’s fleet of RC-135W Rivet Joints. It was in Europe as part of a training programme with 51 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, which also operates the RC-135, and saw the aircraft spent time operating from RAF Waddington and Crete. Unlike the RC-135s, the TC-135 contains no surveillance equipment but is aerodynamically identical to the full mission aircraft. Like many of the larger aircraft on display, its cargo hold was opened to visitors to tour.
The Italians had several aircraft on display in the static line. The Aeronautica Militare was represented by a Panavia A-200 Tornado from 6˚Stormo based at Ghedi Air Base in Lombardy. The aircraft on display wore the striking Tornado 50th Anniversary markings which reflect the various Italian units that have operated the type and the various operations they have been involved with. The Guardia di Finanza have long been a regular sight at Malta airshows, and this year were represented by the stylishly painted Leonardo MH-169M helicopter and the Leonardo P-72B maritime surveillance aircraft. Another welcome returnee was the Polizia di Stato Leonardo UH-139C multi-mission helicopter. Completing the Italian contribution to the static displays was a NH Industries SH-90A anti-submarine helicopter from the Italian Navy making its second Malta appearance.
There was some good representation from Central and Eastern Europe. The Austrian Air Force continued their good support for airshows in 2025 with one of their Lockheed C-130K Hercules aircraft marking the air arms first participation at Malta for 25 years! A somewhat smaller transport aircraft came from the Lithuanian Air Force who were participating at Malta for the very first time. They brought a Let L410 Turbolet, one of just two such aircraft the air arm uses for troop and cargo transport, VIP flights, Target towing as well as aerial observation tasks. Further smaller transport aircraft came from the United States Air Force with a Gates C-21A and the Irish Air Corps with their 100th anniversary marked up Pilatus PC-12NG Spectre.
One of those unusual gems visiting Malta for the first time was an Airbus H145M operated by the Serbian Police Helicopter Unit. The aircraft are used for various law enforcement tasks, but can also be called upon to provide tactical support and medical evacuation as required. The crew were very enthusiastic about their first visit to Malta with a superb ground exhibition alongside their aircraft.
There were of course many locally based aircraft in the static display. The only Armed Forces of Malta aircraft in the display was the Britten Norman BN-2T Islander, but the local flying schools contributed several aircraft as did Harmony Jets with a Dassault Falcon 100. The Malta Aviation Museum also flew in their two airworthy exhibits, the Piper L-4H Grasshopper and de Havilland DH82a Tiger Moth. In addition to the Malta aircraft, a further civilian ‘historic’ type came in the form of the German based Cessna (Reims) T-41A Mescalero that is becoming a regular visitor to many major European shows.
However, perhaps the most outstanding contribution to the static came from the Luftwaffe with their Airbus A400M. Not only did they open the cavernous hold up for tours, but they also had a fine hospitality area for visitors once they had exited the aircraft with a merchandise stand and their own portable bar serving cold German beer and Jägermeisters!
The flying displays took place in the north of Malta along the Qwara shoreline at the entrance of St Paul’s Bay as they have done since 2021. Since the flying displays were moved away from the airport in 2016, there has always been some nervousness about running them in anything less than perfect weather. In 2023, the final day of displays was cancelled due to “high” winds though as I commented in that review, a UK seafront airshow would have gone ahead in those conditions as there were completely clear skies and a good horizon. Returning this year, there were fears of a repeat given Malta was set for a relatively unsettled weekend. However, this year there did seem to be much more determination to get the flying displays running. During Saturday’s display, a line of thunderstorms did pass over and cause a temporary hiatus in the flying display as the Islands were lashed by heavy rain. However, once that line had passed, the skies cleared, and the flying recommenced surprisingly quickly. I have been told this is the first time a Malta flying display had recommenced following a period of poor weather!
As has become tradition, the flying displays were opened by the Armed Forces of Malta who showcased all three of their manned types. First to appear was the Leonardo AW139 which has taken on the mantle of performing the ‘flag flypast’ from the much-loved Alouette III which has now been retired from service. Following the flypast, it the helicopter then returned performing a short handling demonstration before returning to the airport. There was then a brief look at the AFM’s long range search and rescue capabilities with the Britten-Norman BN-2T Islander and the Beechcraft King Air B200. The Islander opened the sequence performing some flypasts before dropping five (or maybe it was four flares? – Ed) flares on to the water to mark the position of a casualty in the water. The King Air then made a low approach trailing red marker dye to further highlight the position before a further short handling demonstration.
The AFM displays were not the only exponents of search and rescue capabilities in the display. The Italian Coast Guard (Guardia Costiera) made a very rare flying display appearance with another long-range SAR role demonstration, this time with a combination of Leonardo PH-139A Nemo and ATR 42-500MP Manta. The two aircraft flew together with the Manta making some low passes before dropping flares into the water. The PH-139A then performed its own winching demonstration after dropping what was thankfully a dummy (otherwise it was a prize for bellyflop of the year) into the water. The PH-139A’s diver thankfully made a rather more graceful entrance into to the water before recovering the dummy to the winch hanging below the very low hovering helicopter! The pair of aircraft then flew a circuit before one final joint flypast.
However, the stand-out SAR display came from the Italian Air Force’s Leonardo HH-139B from 15˚Stormo callsign ‘Duffy 01.’ The display had the full Italian pomp to it starting the helicopter performing a flag flypast to their national anthem before returning to crowd centre for a close hover. The crew then started quite the most energetic SAR demo after dropping a crew member into the water. The helicopter crew then proceeded to fly a very tight routine of wing-overs and flypasts before recovering their crewmen from the water.
While not a SAR asset, the French Navy also contributed to the maritime theme with a display from a Dassault Falcon 10MER from Flotille 57S based at Landivisiau. The Falcon 10MER is primarily utilised by the French Navy as a training aircraft preparing pilots for instrument flying at low altitude over land and over the sea. It can also be used for transport and liaison missions. The crew gave a very elegant routine of curved flypasts in the executive jet which uses a wing derived from the Mystere fighter aircraft.
For a small flying display, there was quite the line-up of fast jet displays. For the third successive show, the Turkish Air Force sent their Lockheed Martin F-16C Fighting Falcon solo display ‘SoloTurk.’ This display is now a rare sight away from Turkey where they fly regular displays around the country’s cities. They are however somewhat cautious when it comes displays over the sea and the display has noticeably restrained over the past three editions of the Malta Airshow. Their gold and black display F-16 is still a spectacular sight powering around the display box, particularly when it fires salvoes of flares at various points in the display routine.
The rest of the fast jet contributions came from the Luftwaffe. Unusually, both of the air arms Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon displays were allocated to Malta. These come from Taktisches Luftwaffengeschwader 31 “Boelcke“ based at Nörvenich and TaktLwG 74 based at Neuburg Air Base. The TaktLwG 31 display is flown by LtCol. “Bam Bam” while Captain “Noble” pilots the TaktLwG 74 demonstration. While the aircraft may be the same, the two pilots perform two very different routines both of which aim to highlight the power and agility of German’s primary air defence and multi-role fighter aircraft. But perhaps the standout participant for enthusiast was the TaktLwG 33 Panavia Tornado IDS display. This unit is normally based at Büchel Air Base but has recently been temporarily relocated to Nörvenich. It is great to see a Tornado back in air displays as it as been a few years since the type has been displayed by either the Royal or Italian Air Forces. This new display is not quite the same as the solo Tornado displays from the 1990s and early 2000s as it is quite a bit shorter and much more sympathetic to the airframe. There was however a surprise at the end of the routine when the Tornado led a formation with one its Typhoon counterparts. The Malta organiser took the opportunity to dedicate these flypasts to prominent figures that have supported the event. On Saturday the formation was dedicated to Polish Air Force F-16 display pilot Major Maciej ‘Slab’ Krakowian while on Sunday the formation paid tribute to prominent MAS member Godfrey Mangion, a well known aviation photographer.
The finale to both Saturday and Sunday’s flying displays were the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows. Malta was the final stop of a short European tour for the team which saw them display in Belgium, the Czech Republic and Montenegro. The team are incredibly popular in Malta drawing massive crowds and 2025 was no different – it was standing room only along the rocky shoreline of Qwara by the time they displayed. It is also a incredible location to see the team fly, particularly as the sunset at the far end of St Paul’s Bay creates a dramatic silhouette of the landscape to frame the display. They concluded their routine on both days with a very special flypast painting the Maltese flag in the sky which on the Saturday was intercepted by a rainbow!
The 2025 Malta International Airshow was certainly a fun adventure! The static event at the airport ran very smoothly and when the weather cleared the flying displays were stunning. We have to congratulate the Malta Aviation Society for the way they have developed the show over the last six years – the show now feels vibrant and well established in the current format. The event will return again in 2027 and we cannot wait.