The inverted Maltese flag featuring on Air Malta’s new livery is no painters’ mistake but follows international “flag etiquette”, an airline spokesperson notes.

A photo of the plane bearing the new livery is doing the rounds on Facebook with people asking whether the inverted Maltese flag was a gaffe.

But the airline spokesperson confirms what aircraft experts had told The Times earlier – that this was in line with what is known as flag etiquette.

The spokesperson insists that the position and depiction of the Maltese flag is correct because the national colours should never be seen to be travelling backwards but always in the direction of the wind. A flag has a “hoist” side – the flagpole side – and the “fly” – the free – side. The Maltese flag is white in the hoist and red in the fly.

“Whether you see the white on the left or the right depends on the direction of the wind relative to the viewer. Traditionally, flags on aircraft around the world are depicted with the hoist at the front of the aircraft and fly at the aft as if the flag is trailing the wind in the same direction as the aircraft’s motion. This is how the Maltese flag has been depicted on all Air Malta liveries in the past and this is the correct orientation,” the spokesperson notes.

The Air Malta fleet is receiving a facelift as part of the airline’s €2 million rebranding exercise. It also has a new motto – Flying the Pride of Malta.