Air Malta passengers were fuming yesterday when they were left waiting on an airport coach for 20 minutes after the President, returning from the UK on the same flight, lost an item on board and her husband went back to retrieve it.

The passengers were subject to what Air Malta said later were normal security procedures taken when heads of state are travelling

The Office of the President, Marie Louise Coleiro-Preca, made it clear it had not asked anyone to stop the disembarkation of passengers from the coach.

In fact, Ms Coleiro-Preca had insisted they be allowed to proceed when she learnt they were being held on her behalf, her office said in reply to questions.

Passengers who were kept on the bus for 20 minutes.

The President and her entourage were first to disembark after the plane landed on schedule at 12.40am.

As they walked to the VVIP area, the remaining passengers boarded a waiting coach, which remained stationary.

After a few minutes, the President’s husband, Edgar Preca, emerged from the VVIP area and walked back to the aircraft – accompanied by soldiers in army fatigues.

He re-boarded the plane and disappeared from view but the coach, which was jam-packed with irate passengers, was not given clearance to make its way to the terminal.

The lost item, reportedly a mobile phone, was not found and a police report was filed.

One passenger said: “We were left to stand on the coach in the cold – it was windy last night and the doors were left wide open – throughout the entire period that the President’s husband was back on the aircraft.

“People were rightly complaining about the situation. They had paid good money to travel on a commercial flight and were treated in this manner.

“It was late and everybody was tired and cold after that wait. The situation was completely mishandled and an utter embarrassment.”

Air Malta said it had been requested to hold the disembarkation of passengers from the coach by non-Air Malta security personnel.

“This is a normal security procedure in such cases, when a Head of State or a VVIP travels on the airline’s services.”

The airline apologised to its customers for the delay and any inconvenience caused by circumstances beyond its control.