Airfields in Malta

Although a report by Sir Alan Cobham (see 1920’s accident page) identifying the best spots for an airfield indicated one in the St. Paul’s Bay/Bugibba area, the British authorities declined such a suggestion.

Building an airfield in that location would have placed it north of the Victoria Lines running across Mosta. The risk of enemy forces landing and occupying the northern parts of the island, and thus presenting them with a readymade airfield was considered too great a risk. For this reason, all airfields were to be located south of the Victoria Lines.

The air strip in Xewkija, Gozo, was built by US Forces in mid-1943, in preparation of Operation Husky, the invasion of Sicily by Allied Forces from Malta and Tunisia.