There was commotion at the Malta International Airport this morning as an Air Malta flight to Palermo was delayed by nearly 17 hours.

Passengers were initially told that their flight, which was due to leave at 5.30am, was being temporarily delayed by a few hours. The flight to Palermo-Borsellini is code-shared with Alitalia, Air Baltic and Meridiana.

But as time wore on the upset passengers demanded to know more about the situation, with the airline finally telling them that a shortage of crew meant that the 30-minute flight would leave at 10pm this evening – nearly 17 hours after the original scheduled time.

The passengers’ complaints escalated and police intervention was required for calm to be restored.

Foreign passengers were given accommodation in a hotel while Maltese passengers were sent home and told to report to the airport this evening.