N E S W 312°
31 / 13
RWY 31/13
HDG 312°
LEN 10,991 ft
Malta International Airport

Runway 31 at LMML

Runway 31/13 at Malta International Airport (LMML) in Valletta is a 10,991 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 312°/132°. The runway is 190 ft wide, with a 620 ft displaced threshold on the 31 end. SkyMeter has observed 2,058 landings and 2,041 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.3°, touchdowns averaging 928 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 143 kt, a 2.5 kt average crosswind component, a 1.7 kt average headwind.

Last 30 Days
4099 Operations
2041 Deps / 2058 Arrs

Runway 31/13 at Malta International Airport (LMML) in Valletta is a 10,991 ft, lighted, asphalt runway oriented 312°/132°. The runway is 190 ft wide, with a 620 ft displaced threshold on the 31 end. SkyMeter has observed 2,058 landings and 2,041 departures on this runway over the last 30 days, with approximately 0.0% of arrivals resulting in a go-around. Trace data shows an average final-approach slope of 2.3°, touchdowns averaging 928 ft past the threshold, a typical touchdown ground speed of 143 kt, a 2.5 kt average crosswind component, a 1.7 kt average headwind.

Runway at a Glance

Arrival Volume

2,058 landings observed on Runway 31 in the last 30 days, alongside 2,041 departures.

Peak Hour

Busiest landing window observed at 18:00 with 9 arrivals on the recent sample.

Average Touchdown Zone

Aircraft touch down on average 928 ft from the threshold on Runway 31.

Prevailing Wind & Gust History

Over the past 365 days, winds at LMML have prevailed from the west (270°), accounting for roughly 18% of windy observations. Average wind speed sits at 8.3 kt with peak gusts to 50 kt. Strong-wind days are infrequent here.

Light Crosswind Component

Average crosswind on landing is 2.5 kt at touchdown, measured against runway 31 alignment.

Approach Slope

Final-approach slope averages 2.3° on Runway 31, shallower than the standard 3°.

Landing Behavior and Touchdown Performance

The metrics below are computed from ADS-B trace data observed at Runway 31 over the last 30 days. Each value is shown only when at least 10 valid samples were available; sparse cells are hidden rather than estimated.

Avg approach slope
2.3°
Avg touchdown GS
143 kts
Avg touchdown zone
928 ft
Avg headwind
1.7 kt

Hourly Landing Distribution

06:00 5 landings
07:00 5 landings
16:00 1 landings
17:00 6 landings
18:00 9 landings
19:00 5 landings
21:00 8 landings
22:00 7 landings
23:00 4 landings

Recent observed landings on Runway 31 grouped by hour-of-day (UTC).

Approach Types and Categories

Aircraft approach runways using different procedures based on weather conditions, visibility, and available navigation equipment. An Instrument Landing System (ILS) approach provides precision horizontal and vertical guidance using ground-based radio signals, enabling aircraft to land in low visibility conditions. Visual approaches require pilots to maintain visual contact with the runway and surrounding terrain, typically used during clear weather. Area Navigation (RNAV) approaches use GPS technology to guide aircraft along specific flight paths.

Approach Categories Explained

Category (CAT) classifications define minimum visibility and decision height requirements for instrument approaches. Higher categories enable operations in lower visibility conditions.

CAT I
Decision Height: 200 ft
Visibility: 550m
CAT II
Decision Height: 100 ft
Visibility: 300m
CAT III
Decision Height: 0-50 ft
Visibility: 0-200m
Visual
Clear of Clouds
Visibility: 5 km

Wind and Environmental Factors

Wind conditions directly impact runway operations, influencing approach difficulty, landing performance, and runway selection. Runway 31 benefits from favorable wind alignment, with prevailing winds creating minimal crosswind components for most operations. Average wind speeds of 12 knots pose no operational constraints for commercial aircraft.

24-Hour Wind Pattern

06:00
338° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
07:00
92° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
16:00
280° at 6 kts, gusting 0 kts
6 kts
17:00
270° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
18:00
203° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
19:00
48° at 3 kts, gusting 0 kts
3 kts
21:00
278° at 5 kts, gusting 0 kts
5 kts
22:00
266° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
23:00
250° at 4 kts, gusting 0 kts
4 kts
METAR
330° at 16 kts, gusting 0 kts
16 kts

Wind patterns show typical diurnal variation with stronger winds during midday hours.

Average Speed
12 kts
Peak Gust
18 kts
Prevailing Direction
312°
Avg Crosswind
8 kts

Related Pages

About This Data

This analysis covers 4099 operations recorded over the past 30 days, derived from global ADS-B flight broadcasts. Coverage may be incomplete in areas with limited ground-station reception, and statistics may vary with weather and traffic volume.