The Republic of Malta has only allowed fully vaccinated tourists to enter the country since mid-July 2021. However, it happens again and again that travelers arrive at Luqa Airport even though they do not meet the requirements for entry. Charles Pace, chief of the civil aviation authority, downplays the problem.

Anyone who flies to Malta incompletely or not at all vaccinated can enjoy 14 days of quarantine at a price of 1.400 euros. Alternatively, entry can be refused, so that the return journey is to commence immediately and without delay. Actually, the Mediterranean state has instructed all airlines to check the documents before departure by means of a Notam. However, this is not taken very seriously by some ground handling agents. For example, the documents were not checked in Vienna last Wednesday.

Charles Pace said in response to a journalist question that less than one percent of passengers would arrive at Luqa Airport with incomplete documentation. “At some stations where airlines fly to Malta once a week, the controller can also work for another major airline and focus on the rules that they think apply to Malta but apply to another country. It is difficult for handling agents, government agencies, and airlines to wade through all of these different restrictions that change daily. It's difficult, but the numbers are good, ”said the head of the Maltese Civil Aviation Administration.

According to unconfirmed reports, the majority of travelers who want to travel to Malta without a full vaccination will be brought into the country by Ryanair. David O'Brien, managing director of the subsidiaries Lauda Europe and Malta Air, sharply rejected this. He stated that passengers have to show their documents before departure and that the vast majority of travelers have no problems. However, this contradicts the fact that last Wednesday on the Malta Air flight from Vienna to Luqa, no document control was carried out by the ground staff of Flughafen Wien AG. Pace added that the information that Ryanair would bring most passengers to Malta with incomplete documentation would be incorrect.