An Emirates flight from Malta to Dubai was delayed for more than an hour last Wednesday because Labour leader Joseph Muscat and his family turned up just minutes before take-off.

Flight EK108 via Cyprus was scheduled to depart at 3.40 p.m. but did not leave until 4.44 p.m. because Dr Muscat was late. VIPs are instructed to arrive at the ministerial lounge one hour before take-off.

Sources told The Sunday Times that in line with normal procedure Emirates closed the check-in desk at 3 p.m. and the airline failed in its attempts to contact the Labour leader and his family, who were the only booked passengers who failed to show for the flight.

At 3.30 p.m., Dr Muscat, his wife Michelle and their twin daughters, walked into Malta International Airport's ministerial lounge. They proceeded to the waiting area until the children were taken to the toilet, from where they emerged 15 to 20 minutes later, according to sources.

In the meantime, Emirates missed its allotted slot to take off, and was only given permission to leave 50 minutes later.

The rest of the Labour delegation, on an official visit to Australia, had arrived at the airport earlier than Dr Muscat. These included Labour MP George Vella and his wife, as well as Labour MP Charles Buhagiar together with his wife and daughter.

The Muscats were given a complimentary upgrade to business class to Dubai and then onto Sydney.

The aircraft left the stand at 4.30 p.m. and finally took off at 4.44 p.m. Despite leaving Malta late, the aircraft made up time and only left 23 minutes behind schedule from Cyprus.

Dr Muscat has gained a reputation for tardiness. He was 45 minutes late for the recording of a debate with Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in the run-up to the European Parliament election and also kept Spanish King Juan Carlos waiting during the latter's state visit to Malta.

When contacted, the Labour Party said: "The (Sunday) Times will appreciate that we are not the civil aviation authorities and thus cannot speculate on flight delays. What we are in a position to confirm is that the delegation was at no time informed it was late, and that the flight arrived on time in Dubai," a spokesman told The Sunday Times.

The spokesman also said, when asked, that the visit is being funded by the Australian Labour Party while family members paid their own expenses.