Air Malta has operated its first ever flight to the Indian sub-continent on a humanitarian repatriation mission which took 110 Indian nationals home.

The flight was divided in two sectors flying from Malta to Dubai then to Cochin, Kerala India.

This repatriation was operated with a brand-new Airbus A320neo aircraft with registration, 9H-NEB, and flown by a compliment on eight flight and cabin crew members, commanded by Capt. Bruce Pace, with Capt. Massimo Cachia and Capt. Noel Scicluna as part of the team.

It was an emotional flight for many of the passengers onboard with many of them expressing their gratitude to the crew and saying ‘Grazzi’ (thank you) in Maltese for operating this flight, Air Malta said in a company statement.

In mid-June, media reports detailed the plight of Indian nationals stranded in Malta while waiting for a repatriation flight home.

An 8th June flight was postponed to 17th June, and postponed again, with the national carrier citing logistical issues, as well as flight crew staffing issues.

Over the last few months Air Malta flew some 200 repatriation flights on behalf of the Government of Malta.