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The RAF left in 1979 following a
British government decision not to renew the lease on the station from the Maltese. The payments demanded for a lease extension were several times higher than the payments under the previous lease. A
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on 8 February 1943. No. 683 Squadron flew
Spitfire Mark IVs, Mark XIs and later Mark XIXs. Just over eight months later, in November 1943, No. 683 Squadron moved to Tunisia.
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to form the unit. After a brief period as No. 1435 (Fighter) Flight, at Luqa, due to its size it was raised to No. 1435 Squadron RAF on 2 August 1942 still at Luqa.
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was first formed at Malta as a night fighter unit on 4 December 1941, by re-designating the Malta Night
Fighter Unit. In July 1942, personnel from
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Nowadays, the location has been developed as the main entry point for air traffic into the modern, independent country of Malta, under the name
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aircraft and the squadron's identity were transferred to Aden, two aircraft were left to join
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703:((2nd edition 1976, reprinted 1978) ed.). London: Macdonald & Jane's.
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520:. It is sometimes still referred to as "Luqa Airport" or "Valletta Airport".
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RAFWeb writes that the original Malta "photographic reconnaissance unit was
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Nimrod made the last flight out of Luqa on the morning of 1 April 1979.
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After the war, Luqa remained an important RAF base, serving during the
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disbanded on 31 December 1977 at Luqa, by which time it was part of
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The
Squadrons of the Royal Air Force & Commonwealth 1918–1988
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Air of
Authority – A History of RAF Organisation (RAFWEB).
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450:, which had arrived from Palestine in 1948, left Luqa for
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from 1941 to 1943, RAF Luqa was a very important base for
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426:." "B" Flight, No. 69 Squadron RAF was formed into
1281:Royal Air Force stations of World War II in Europe
442:of 1956, but also served as Malta's main civilian
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701:Fighter Squadrons of the RAF and their Aircraft
684:. Shrewsbury, Shropshire: Airlife Publishing.
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646:. Tonbridge, Kent: Air Britain (Historians).
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71:Learn how and when to remove this message
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466:began a long association, equipped with
34:This article includes a list of general
1301:Malta–United Kingdom military relations
661:Rawlings, John Dunstan Richard (1984).
547:
530:List of former Royal Air Force stations
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1123:Commandant-General of the RAF Regiment
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535:List of air stations of the Royal Navy
1296:Military installations closed in 1979
1046:List of equipment of the RAF Regiment
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20:
947:Princess Mary's RAF Nursing Service
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16:Former British RAF station in Malta
13:
1276:Royal Air Force stations in Europe
1187:Combined Cadet Force (RAF section)
571:"No 671 – 1435 Squadron Histories"
40:it lacks sufficient corresponding
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607:Lee, Wings in the Sun, 1989, 207.
454:in Aden in July 1957. While four
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1103:Assistant Chief of the Air Staff
391:and on Malta's second island of
367:and for ground control of North
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1271:Military installations of Malta
1197:RAF Centre of Aviation Medicine
1077:List of serving senior officers
409:No. 1435 (Night Fighter) Flight
663:History of the Royal Air Force
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1:
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699:Rawlings, John D.R. (1969).
665:. New York: Crescent Books.
7:
1286:World War II sites in Malta
972:RAF Mountain Rescue Service
967:RAF Search and Rescue Force
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518:Malta International Airport
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383:, plus satellite fields at
334:Malta International Airport
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1128:Warrant Officer of the RAF
823:Operational Training units
492:maritime patrol aircraft.
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347:. Particularly during the
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1072:List of notable personnel
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1003:Royal Auxiliary Air Force
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869:Satellite Landing Grounds
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642:Halley, James J. (1988).
468:English Electric Canberra
363:for naval control of the
332:, now developed into the
328:located on the island of
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1207:RAF Football Association
1108:Air Member for Personnel
828:Schools / Training units
355:forces fighting against
263:78 metres (256 ft)
1118:Air Member for Materiel
682:Flying Units of the RAF
415:were equipped with the
343:(AHQ Malta) during the
189:Royal Air Force station
55:more precise citations.
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341:Air Headquarters Malta
339:It hosted aircraft of
1008:RAF Volunteer Reserve
506:
488:. It had been flying
169:35.85750°N 14.47750°E
1041:List of RAF missiles
1024:List of RAF aircraft
942:RAF Medical Services
927:RAF Chaplains Branch
498:No. 120 Squadron RAF
478:No. 203 Squadron RAF
428:No. 683 Squadron RAF
353:British Commonwealth
315:Royal Air Force Luqa
255:Airfield information
1202:RAF Benevolent Fund
1137:symbols and uniform
770:Ministry of Defence
725:RAF Luqa Remembered
680:Lake, Alan (1999).
619:, pp. 206–207.
464:No. 13 Squadron RAF
460:No. 38 Squadron RAF
448:No. 37 Squadron RAF
424:No. 69 Squadron RAF
204:Ministry of Defence
165: /
1182:Air Training Corps
1098:Chief of Air Staff
962:RAF Music Services
509:
486:RAF Strike Command
285:Length and surface
174:35.85750; 14.47750
139:Shown within Malta
1266:Airports in Malta
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1082:Personnel numbers
977:RAF Marine Branch
957:RAF ground trades
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672:978-0-517-46249-2
507:RAF Luqa in 1941.
462:, still at Luqa.
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413:No. 603 Squadron
404:Second World War
345:Second World War
317:(or more simply
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321:) is a former
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61:December 2009
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1091:appointments
922:RAF Regiment
908:branches and
838:Glider units
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556:, p. ??
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482:No. 18 Group
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220:Site history
67:
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39:
18:
1067:Other ranks
833:Ferry units
630:"StackPath"
554:Lake (1999)
512:Current use
440:Suez Crisis
240:In use
172: /
160:014°28′39″E
148:Coordinates
53:introducing
1260:Categories
1212:RAF Museum
987:Operations
952:RAF Police
910:components
843:Misc units
777:formations
541:References
490:BAe Nimrod
417:Spitfire V
157:35°51′27″N
36:references
1055:personnel
1017:equipment
890:Squadrons
808:Squadrons
779:and units
474:in 1978.
472:RAF Wyton
281:Direction
260:Elevation
243:1941-1979
1230:timeline
1154:Roundels
878:Regiment
852:stations
793:Commands
524:See also
434:Post war
377:Ta' Qali
319:RAF Luqa
210:Operator
133:RAF Luqa
86:RAF Luqa
1245:commons
1225:history
1159:Uniform
1029:current
895:Flights
813:Flights
484:within
444:airport
399:History
381:Hal Far
361:Germany
326:station
295:Asphalt
275:Runways
245: (
230: (
49:improve
1235:future
1144:Ensign
1034:future
864:Former
859:Active
798:Groups
707:
688:
669:
650:
389:Qrendi
379:, and
369:Africa
293:
99:Malta
38:, but
1149:Badge
885:Wings
803:Wings
786:units
357:Italy
330:Malta
301:13/31
290:05/23
225:Built
200:Owner
1291:Luqa
705:ISBN
686:ISBN
667:ISBN
648:ISBN
393:Gozo
385:Safi
373:Luqa
359:and
265:AMSL
247:1979
232:1940
228:1940
185:Type
1262::
561:^
446:.
395:.
387:,
375:,
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753:e
746:t
739:v
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249:)
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68:(
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59:(
45:.
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