Air show display over St Paul's Bay

The dull, grey weather and the odd shower did not dampen the spirits of aviation enthusiasts who flocked in their thousands to watch the first day of the Malta International Airshow.

The 15th edition of the air show kicked off at Luqa with the static display where the public could observe over 40 different aircraft and had the opportunity to speak to the pilots.

Yesterday's event ran smoothly, with the drone and rumble of aircraft accompanying the aircraft.

Malta Aviation Society president Joseph Ciliberti said that the same number of countries continued to take part this year and the most anticipated event was the air display.

In the afternoon, the excitement switched to St Paul's Bay, where the aerial display took place in front of the Dolmen Resort Hotel. Parts of the Qawra promenade, running from Fra Ben point to the Dolmen Hotel, were closed to traffic during the air display.

While most of Malta was covered with a blanket of dark clouds and rain, in St Paul's Bay the sun shone through, with many seeking shelter under a tree. The air show was switched to St Paul's Bay rather than Luqa Airport, to steer away from construction work taking place at Lufthansa Technik's new facilities and the usual protests by neighbouring local councils.

Despite the lack of glitzy attractions, this year's edition features a single F16 fighter belonging to the Dutch forces and a team of microlight aircraft from Italy. The show includes an interaction between air and sea with an Italian water-bomber, which was involved in the recent blazes in Greece, as well as a display by Armed Forces of Malta aircraft and vessels.

The first-ever national power board race will take place in the bay immediately after today's air show.

The flying display today starts at 3 p.m. and ends at 5 p.m., while the static display in Luqa will be open to the public from 10 a.m. to 5.30 p.m.