The after-effects of closing Malta’s airspace for some two hours could be felt for days, airline officials told Times of Malta, as a number of flights were yesterday delayed by hours after a hijacked plane landed in Malta.

Malta International Airport stood at a standstill for two hours, with no flights coming or going, while nine flights en route to Malta were diverted to Catania.

The aerodrome was closed for under 30 minutes with a total of 44 flights affected. Nine incoming flights which were diverted, while delays were registered across 20 departing flights and 15 arrivals.

All airport operations were halted for about an hour, with passengers being told to wait in the departure lounge until further information was available.

Just after noon, passengers who had already checked in their luggage started being directed through security checks but were still not given any information regarding the departure times.

The air space was reopened at around 1.15pm, with the first flights to come through being those that had been diverted to Catania.

Police roamed the airport on high alert, even as operations returned to normal.

As hundreds of passengers lingered around the MIA waiting for information, airport officials told Times of Malta that closing of the airspace could not come at a worse time.

Being a Friday, a busy day at the airport under normal circumstances, something like this happening so close to Christmas meant traffic would be at its peak, officials said.

“Friday is always a busy day for us, but the fact that many people started their Christmas holidays means a lot more passengers were affected,” an Air Malta official said.

Repercussions would be felt for days to come, the official added.

Sebha to Malta: a diversion from Tripoli. Graphic: Design Studio

While airport operations returned back to normal, relatives waiting for those on board the flights that had been diverted to Catania were visibly shaken, anxiously waiting for any shred of information.

“My daughter is on board a flight from the East Midlands. We are being told that it has been diverted, but I still haven’t heard anything from her. I know she's safe, but it’s still scary,” one mother told this newspaper, holding back tears.

Meanwhile, several Maltese living abroad who were on their way home for the holidays were also stranded, taking to social media to express their frustration.

“Stuck in Gatwick right before boarding,” Maltese expat Ryan Saliba, who lives in the UK, wrote on Facebook, while others shared similar experiences of having been stuck in airports all over Europe.