Can I claim compensation if my luggage is lost on a flight departing from Malta?

For flights covered by the Montreal Convention, which governs international air carrier liability and which Malta, along with the airlines operating from it, is generally bound by, you would generally be entitled to claim compensation for lost checked luggage, though this compensation is typically subject to a liability limit set under the Convention, calculated using Special Drawing Rights (SDRs), an international reserve currency unit, rather than an unlimited amount reflecting your luggage's full actual value, meaning if your lost items were genuinely worth more than this standard liability limit, you may not be able to recover the full value through the standard claims process unless you had specifically declared a higher value and paid an additional charge at check-in, which not all passengers realise is an available option. To pursue your claim, you would generally need to properly notify the airline of the loss promptly, typically starting at the airport itself with a formal lost luggage report, and then follow through with the airline's formal claims process within the specific time limits set out under the Montreal Convention framework, providing appropriate documentation such as your original luggage tags, boarding pass, and, importantly, some reasonable evidence or itemised list of what the luggage actually contained to support your compensation claim. Given the specific liability limits and procedural requirements involved, and particularly if the value of your lost items was genuinely significant, it would be worth reviewing the airline's specific formal response carefully, and if you feel the compensation offered doesn't properly reflect your entitlement under the Convention, raising the matter with the Malta Competition and Consumer Affairs Authority (MCCAA) or consulting a lawyer.