A number of incoming and outgoing commercial flights were disrupted on Friday evening because of landings connected with the international airshow which is taking place this weekend.

Flights were delayed by more than one hour and at least one aircraft had to circle over Malta for over 30 minutes as it was not given permission to land.

Irritated passengers commented that commercial flights should not in any way be affected by a one-off activity. “It should be the airshow flights that should work around the commercial flights schedule, not the other way round,” one passenger commented.

“It’s not the right way to start a holiday,” another said.

Added to this, the delays in departure and in landing also possibly mean extra expenses for the airlines involved.

For sure, so much fuel is wasted unnecessarily when aircraft has to circle around Malta simply because it cannot land. “It’s one thing doing so for emergency reasons; it’s another when the situation happens because of bad planning,” one passenger said.

Added to this, airlines may be affected by overtime demands if normal hours of work are surpassed. Drivers of cars/buses waiting for incoming passengers may also need to work longer than necessary, meaning extra costs for the company employing them.