Air Malta Baggage Policy: 2026 Fees, Allowances, Size & Weight Rules 

KM Malta Airlines (formerly Air Malta) baggage allowances depend entirely on your fare type. Economy Basic passengers receive only a small under-seat bag. Economy Plus and above include a 10kg carry-on and at least 20kg checked luggage. Pre-booking extra baggage online saves significantly compared to airport rates.

Planning a trip through Malta and wondering exactly what you can bring? You’re not alone. KM Malta Airlines the carrier that replaced Air Malta in 2024 has a tiered baggage system where your ticket type determines almost everything: whether you get a carry-on, how much checked luggage you’re entitled to, and what fees apply if you go over.

What Is the KM Malta Airlines Carry-On Baggage Allowance?

KM Malta Airlines carry-on baggage allowance consists of two possible items: a small personal bag and a hand luggage piece. Every passenger on every fare gets one small bag (maximum 40cm x 34cm x 18cm) stowed under the seat. The 10kg hand luggage (maximum 55cm x 40cm x 25cm) in the overhead bin is only included from Economy Plus upward.

KM Malta Airlines Cabin Baggage at a Glance

How strict is KM Malta Airlines with carry-on? Fairly strict. If your cabin bag exceeds the weight or size limits, staff will ask you to check it in. If it then exceeds your checked baggage allowance, you will pay the airport rate starting at €45. If you arrive at the gate with oversized baggage, a flat €55 fee applies on the spot. Economy Value passengers who fail to check in their included 10kg checked bag before the gate will also face a €30 fee at boarding.

Content gap alert: Most competitor articles miss the gate-specific fees entirely. These charges apply even if you’re just a few centimeters over the limit.

What Is the Air Malta Baggage Allowance by Fare Type?

KM Malta Airlines structures its baggage allowances across eight distinct fare tiers. Your allowance is determined at the time of booking and printed on your ticket not by route or destination.

Full Baggage Allowance by Fare

A few important points that most guides miss:

• Baggage pooling between passengers is not permitted, even when traveling together.
• Items like jackets, laptops, cameras, and airport purchases must fit inside your small bag or hand luggage they do not get a free pass.
• If there is insufficient overhead bin space at boarding, KM Malta Airlines will check your hand luggage into the hold for free, and you collect it at the baggage carousel.

What Is Economy Plus on KM Malta Airlines?

Economy Plus is a mid-tier Economy fare that includes both a 10kg carry-on hand luggage and a 20kg checked bag. Economy Plus sits above Economy Value (which only includes 10kg checked with no overhead bin allowance) and offers meaningful savings over booking extra baggage separately. For passengers checking more than a weekend bag, Economy Plus is often the most cost-effective starting point.

Practical example: A passenger booking Economy Basic and then adding 20kg checked luggage plus a hand luggage allowance would pay €36 (Priority10) + €40 (20kg checked) = €76 extra. Economy Plus avoids these add-ons entirely at the time of booking, making it the smarter option for anyone with standard travel luggage.

What Are the KM Malta Airlines Baggage Fees and Extra Baggage Prices?

The earlier you add extra baggage, the less you pay. KM Malta Airlines prices extra baggage on a sliding scale based on when and where you purchase it. Buying through the KM website before departure is always the cheapest option.

Extra Checked Baggage Fees  KM Malta Airlines Website (up to 5 hours before departure)

*Other KM Channels include the Sales Office at Malta International Airport and the Customer Support line (+356 2135 6000).

Connecting flight baggage fees are charged separately and at higher rates:

Overweight baggage fee at check-in: €10 per kilogram over your entitled weight limit. This applies to checked bags only and is charged at the airport check-in desk.

Key detail missed by most competitor articles: KM Malta Airlines only accepts credit cards for excess baggage payments at the boarding gate. Cash payments are accepted only at the check-in desk. If you arrive at the gate with an oversized bag and only have cash, you will face a problem.

How Much Does It Cost to Add a Bag to KM Malta Airlines?

The cost to add a checked bag to KM Malta Airlines starts at €30 for up to 15kg when booked online well in advance. A 20kg bag costs €40 online, rising to €55 at the airport. Adding a 32kg bag costs €44 online but jumps to €75 at the airport. The Priority10 add-on which bundles a 10kg hand luggage with priority boarding costs €36 online and is only available for Economy Basic, Economy Sale, and Economy Value ticket holders.

What Sports Equipment and Special Baggage Does KM Malta Airlines Accept?

KM Malta Airlines accepts a range of special baggage items, but each category has its own rules and fees. The general advice: book your special baggage at least 48 hours before departure and confirm via email.

Musical instruments:

• Small instruments (up to 10kg) can travel as cabin baggage, subject to your fare entitlement and available space guitars, violins, flutes, saxophones, and similar instruments all qualify.
• Larger instruments can be checked in, provided they are packed in a sturdy case and fall within your baggage allowance. Excess weight is charged at €40 per piece per flight.
• The maximum weight for checked instruments is 32kg.
• For very large instruments (cellos, double basses), a cabin seat can be booked.

Medical equipment:

• Contact medical@kmmaltairlines.com at least 24 hours before your flight.
• A medical certificate from a doctor is required, detailing the medication or equipment and its intended use.

Firearms and ammunition:

• Must be declared at least 72 hours before departure by emailing teamleaders@kmmaltairlines.com.
• A police escort is required at check-in, at your own expense.
• Ammunition is capped at 5kg and must be packed in its original or suitably secured container.
• Failure to follow these procedures results in denied boarding.

Infants and children:

• Collapsible strollers are accepted at the aircraft steps and transported in the hold free of charge, returned upon arrival.

What Items Are Prohibited on KM Malta Airlines Flights?

KM Malta Airlines prohibits a clear list of items from both cabin and checked baggage. The cabin restrictions are stricter.

Prohibited in cabin baggage:

• All firearms and projectile weapons (including toy guns and replica weapons)
• Stun guns, tasers, and incapacitating sprays (mace, pepper spray, tear gas)
• Sharp objects: knives with blades over 6cm, scissors with blades over 6cm, razor blades, ice picks, axes
• Workmen’s tools: crowbars, drills, bolt guns, blowtorches, and screwdrivers with shafts over 6cm
• Blunt instruments: baseball bats, batons, martial arts equipment
• Explosives and pyrotechnics, including Christmas crackers and fireworks
• Liquids in containers exceeding 100ml (the standard EU LAG rule applies)

Liquids rule reminder: All liquids must be in 100ml containers or smaller, placed in a single transparent resealable bag with a maximum capacity of 1 liter. One bag per passenger.

Prohibited in checked baggage:

• Explosives, blasting caps, detonators, fireworks, and smoke-generating devices
• Fragile, breakable, or perishable items (these should travel in the cabin)
• Money, jewelry, precious metals, computers, mobile phones, cameras, passports, and medicines

The last point catches many passengers off guard. KM Malta Airlines will not accept liability for loss of electronics, medications, or valuables from checked bags these should always travel with you in the cabin.

What Should You Pack to Stay Within the Air Malta Weight Limits?

Staying within KM Malta Airlines’ weight limits takes planning, not guesswork. Here are practical strategies:

• Weigh your bag before leaving home. A bathroom scale works fine. Lift yourself, then lift yourself holding the bag. The difference is your bag weight.
• Wear your heaviest items on the plane boots, jackets, and jeans add significant hold weight.
• Use your small bag strategically. It sits under the seat and has no weight limit specified, making it valuable for dense items like books, chargers, and shoes.
• Book extra baggage online well before departure. At €40 for 20kg online versus €55 at the airport, you save €15 by booking in advance.
• Economy Basic and Value passengers: The Priority10 add-on (€36 online) is the cheapest way to get a hand luggage allowance. For a quick trip, this often beats upgrading your fare entirely.

What Happens If Your KM Malta Airlines Baggage Is Lost or Delayed?

If your checked bag doesn’t arrive at the carousel, go directly to the Baggage Services Desk in the Arrivals area before leaving the airport. A Property Irregularity Report (PIR) must be filed immediately. Claims without a PIR are not considered.

The baggage tracing timeline works as follows:

• On arrival: A primary tracer is sent to the departure airport. If the bag is found, it is forwarded on the next available flight.
• Days 1–5: Tracing continues. Contact: infobag@as-airport.it or +356 2369 6136 (open daily 09:00–21:00 CET).
• Days 6–21: A secondary tracer is sent. Contact: km2ndry.tracing@as-airport.it
• After 21 days: The bag is declared lost and you can submit a formal claim at help.kmmaltairlines.com.

You can track your delayed bag in real time using the Baggage Tracking System at mybag.aero. If you have an Apple AirTag in your bag, you can share its location directly through the same portal.

For delayed bags, KM Malta Airlines permits you to buy essential items (toiletries, reasonably priced clothing) and submit receipts for reimbursement provided purchases are proportionate to the length of the delay.

For damaged baggage, file a PIR at the airport and submit your claim within 7 days of arrival. Normal wear and tear scratches, dents, broken wheels, damaged straps is not covered.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does KM Malta Airlines charge for hand luggage on all fares?
No. A small under-seat bag is free on every fare. The 10kg overhead bin allowance is only included from Economy Plus, Economy Flex, and all Business fares upward. Economy Basic and Economy Value passengers must buy the Priority10 add-on (from €36 online) to bring a carry-on bag into the overhead bin.

Can I add a bag after I’ve already booked my KM Malta Airlines ticket?
Yes. You can add checked baggage through Manage My Booking up to five hours before departure at the website rate. After that window, you pay the airport rate, which starts at €45 for 15kg up to 50% more than the online price.

What is the KM Malta Airlines excess baggage fee per kilogram?
For checked baggage exceeding your fare’s weight limit at airport check-in, KM Malta Airlines charges a flat rate of €10 per kilogram over your entitlement. This is separate from the flat fees for adding extra bags.

Can I share my baggage allowance with another passenger on the same booking?
No. KM Malta Airlines does not permit baggage pooling between passengers, even on the same booking. Each passenger’s allowance applies only to their own bags.

What is the maximum weight for a single checked bag on KM Malta Airlines?
The maximum weight per individual checked bag is 32kg. Items heavier than 32kg cannot travel as checked baggage and must be sent as cargo. There is no exception to this rule.

Does KM Malta Airlines accept guitars and violins as cabin baggage?
Yes, small instruments weighing under 10kg including guitars, violins, flutes, and saxophones can travel as cabin baggage, subject to your fare’s hand luggage entitlement and available space. Economy Basic and Value passengers can use the Priority10 add-on to bring an instrument into the cabin.

Are liquids purchased at duty-free shops exempt from the 100ml cabin rule?
Yes. Items purchased airside at the airport can be brought on board in their sealed security bags. Do not open these bags before passing through any additional security checkpoints, or the contents may be confiscated.

 How early do I need to arrive at Malta Airport to avoid excess baggage fees at the gate?
Checking in your bags at the check-in desk rather than the gate is strongly advised cash payments for excess baggage are only accepted at check-in. At the gate, only credit cards are accepted. Arrive early enough to complete check-in before the desk closes, typically 40 minutes before departure for short-haul flights.

Does KM Malta Airlines’s baggage policy apply on codeshare flights?
No. Codeshare flights operated by partner airlines follow that partner airline’s own baggage policy. Always check the operating carrier’s website for routes not directly operated by KM Malta Airlines.

Can I bring a stroller on KM Malta Airlines for free?
Yes. One collapsible stroller can be taken to the aircraft steps free of charge. It is stored in the hold and returned to you on arrival at the baggage carousel. A child safety seat is also permitted if the infant has a reserved seat.