The KM Malta Airlines flight to Milan on Saturday has been delayed by more than seven hours.

The flight was initially scheduled to depart to Linate Airport at 12.45pm, but after passengers were informed that the flight had been delayed to 1.20pm, they were later told that there is a further delay till 5.30pm.

The delay was then extended to 7.30pm, according to the MIA website.

The flight eventually departed at 8pm.

The new timing of the flight was more than seven hours later than the original schedule, with passengers left fuming as they have “practically lost a day".

Is this how the new Maltese national airline intends to treat its passengers, one of them asked.

The passengers have been told that there are "technical issues".