London Heathrow to Malta

Why choose Heathrow for Malta

Heathrow is the natural choice if you live in west or north-west London, the Thames Valley or anywhere along the M4 and M40 corridors. It is also well placed for travellers coming in from further afield by train or coach, because the airport is one of the best-connected places in the country. For these passengers, a direct flight to Malta from Heathrow avoids an awkward cross-London journey to another airport.

If you live south of London, our page on flying London Gatwick to Malta may suit you better, because the train and road links point the other way. Both pages exist because the airports have different terminals, different rail services and different times to leave home. Our wider flights to Malta page sets out the choices from across the UK.

Flying KM Malta Airlines from Terminal 4

We are KM Malta Airlines, and at Heathrow we check you in at Terminal 4. Our check-in page carries a notice titled “London Heathrow, Important changes to Terminal 4 Parking and Pick-Up”, and we recommend reading it before you ask anyone for a lift or book parking.

Our check-in process is simple. Online check-in is available at Heathrow and opens 24 hours before departure. Passengers with luggage for the hold go to the Bag Drop aisle when they reach the airport. We ask everyone to arrive at least 2.5 hours before departure and no later than 60 minutes before. A time nearer to the 2.5-hour mark is a sensible choice for school holidays and summer weekends, when Heathrow can be extremely busy.

Baggage and cabin allowances depend on the fare you choose, so check the fare conditions when you book rather than relying on a summary. Our hotels in Malta collection is a good place to plan the stay that goes with your flight.

Getting to Heathrow Terminal 4 from London

Heathrow is among the best-connected airports in the country, and Terminal 4 has more than one sensible way in. The three most useful for London passengers are the Heathrow Express, the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line, with coaches as an alternative if you are travelling from further afield. Which is best depends on where your journey starts and how much luggage you are carrying.

Heathrow Express from Paddington

The Heathrow Express is the fastest rail link between central London and the airport. Its website says trains run every 15 minutes, with four leaving London Paddington every hour, and that they reach Heathrow Central, serving Terminals 2 and 3, in 15 minutes. Terminal 5 is about six minutes further. Services leave from Paddington platforms 6 and 7, though Heathrow Express notes that platforms occasionally change, so look at the station boards. Trains stop a little earlier on Sundays and bank holidays.

For Terminal 4, Heathrow Express says to take the free Elizabeth line or a connecting shuttle bus from Heathrow Central. In practice that means a short extra leg of a few minutes, which is worth building into your plan. Tickets are not tied to a specific train, so a single is valid on any train that day, and Heathrow Express says there is no peak pricing, with the same fare charged at all times of day. Children aged 15 and under travel free. Fares change, so check the Heathrow Express website when you book.

The Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line

The Elizabeth line, run by Transport for London, calls at Terminal 4 and is the route Heathrow Express itself points Terminal 4 passengers towards for the final leg from Heathrow Central. Check Transport for London for the current timetable and stopping pattern before you travel.

The Piccadilly line is the budget-friendly alternative. Heathrow has Underground stations at Terminal 4 and Terminal 5, and its website says the trip from central London takes less than an hour on a frequent service. It is a good choice if you are starting from a Piccadilly line station, though a long journey with bulky luggage can be tiring, so many passengers prefer the quicker rail options. Closures and engineering works do happen, so check Transport for London before you leave, particularly at weekends.

Coaches, taxis and driving to Terminal 4

Coaches serve Terminal 4 from bus stops 12 to 17 outside the arrivals level, a short walk from the Underground and Elizabeth line stations. Heathrow’s coach page lists National Express, RailAir, The Airline, FlixBus and Flightline 730 and 731. RailAir runs to Reading, Woking, Guildford and Watford Junction, and The Airline serves Oxford and Gatwick Airport, which is handy for travellers coming from the Thames Valley and from further afield.

If you are driving or being collected, read our parking and pick-up notice mentioned above and allow extra time on the M25 and the Heathrow approach roads. Taxi fares and journey times vary with traffic, so confirm the price before you set off if you can.

Working out when to leave home

Here is an example. If your flight departs at 10:00, we ask you to be at the airport at least 2.5 hours before, so by 07:30. From Paddington, the Heathrow Express reaches Heathrow Central in 15 minutes, and you then need to allow for the Elizabeth line or shuttle bus to Terminal 4 and the walk into the terminal. A sensible plan is to be on a train leaving Paddington no later than about 06:45. If you are starting from further away, work backwards from that point and add a margin for delays.

The same logic applies on the way home. When you return from Malta, the same links are available in reverse, but remember that Malta is one hour ahead of the UK, so check which time zone your flight times are quoted in.

Heathrow or Gatwick?

Heathrow suits west and north-west London and the Thames Valley. If you live south of London, our page on flying London Gatwick to Malta explains the station, the Gatwick Express and the other rail links from that side. Our wider London to Malta flights page compares the two side by side.

On arrival in Malta

After the flight you arrive at Malta International Airport. Our Malta airport guide explains what to expect on arrival. From there, you can take a taxi, a bus or a hire car depending on your plans. Our Malta taxi guide explains how taxis work, and a hire car suits anyone who wants to explore beyond the resorts. Remember that driving in Malta is on the left, as it is in the UK, which many British visitors find a relief.

It also helps to know what to expect once you are on the ground. Our Valletta guide is the place to start for the capital, a compact walled city that is easy to explore on foot, while our Malta weather guide will help you decide what to pack. Malta uses the same three-pin sockets as the UK, so you do not need an adaptor for British plugs.

Coming home: Malta to London Heathrow

For the return leg, online check-in from Malta opens 24 hours before departure, and our advice is the same in both directions: arrive at least 2.5 hours ahead and no later than 60 minutes before the flight. Passengers who have checked in online with a hold bag head for the Bag Drop aisle. Malta International Airport is a single-terminal airport on our list, and our Malta airport guide explains what you will find there.

The flight takes around 3 hours 20 minutes and lands at Heathrow Terminal 4. Because Malta is one hour ahead, the arrival time on your booking is UK local time. As an illustration, leaving Malta at 12:00 would mean landing at roughly 13:20 UK time. From Terminal 4 you can follow the same links described above, in reverse: the Elizabeth line and the Piccadilly line from the terminal’s own stations, the connection to Heathrow Express at Heathrow Central, or coaches from bus stops 12 to 17 outside arrivals.

If someone is driving to collect you, read our notice on Terminal 4 parking and pick-up changes first, and agree a meeting point before you land so that you are not waiting in the wrong place.

Customs allowances are worth a quick look before you shop for souvenirs. GOV.UK states that for goods bought in the EU you can bring home up to 42 litres of beer, 18 litres of wine and either 4 litres of spirits above 22% ABV or 9 litres of weaker drinks, plus a single tobacco allowance such as 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars, up to 50 millilitres of vaping liquid and other goods worth up to £390. Exceed an allowance and tax and duty are due on everything in that category. On arrival, choose the green channel if everything is within your allowances and needs no declaration, or the red channel if you have goods or cash to declare, with cash of £10,000 or more always declarable. Allowances change, so check GOV.UK before you travel.

Turning a flight into a holiday

A flight is only part of the trip. If you want to see how flights and accommodation can be combined, our flight and hotel packages page and our Malta holidays page explain the options. For something more structured, our seven-day Malta itinerary shows how a week can be shaped around a direct flight from London.

Practical tips for a smooth Heathrow departure

• Check in online when it opens, 24 hours before departure, and keep your boarding pass on your phone.
• Go to Terminal 4, not another terminal, and confirm this in your booking confirmation before you leave.
• If you plan to use the Heathrow Express from Terminal 4, allow five to ten extra minutes for the inter-terminal shuttle.
• Read our notice on Terminal 4 parking and pick-up changes before arranging a lift.
• Carry your passport and check the latest entry guidance before you fly.

Last checked 15 October 2026. Sources checked: KM Malta Airlines check-in and flight information, the Heathrow Airport website (public transport and coach pages), the Heathrow Express website and GOV.UK guidance on bringing goods into the UK. Train, coach and Underground timings are taken from the operators’ own websites and can change, so check them for the day you travel.