Passenger describes situation as Air Malta flight to Milan was held on the tarmac for over an hour

An Air Malta flight to Linate, Milan, was held up on the tarmac with passengers on board for well over an hour on Friday afternoon, with those on board not being officially told the reasons for the hitch. An Air Malta spokesman said the flight took off after a small technical issue was resolved. The spokesman denied that the issue was regulatory. He explained that the crew wanted an assurance regarding the 'Minimum Equipment List' which lists the serviceable equipment available to operate the flight.  The aircraft, a Boeing 737 was recently acquired on a short lease by the national airline.  The boarding gate was closed at 1.10pm but the aircraft only took off at 2.30pm. The aircraft, a Boeing 737400, is almost 30 years old and was recently the subject of several other delays. A passenger on the plane who has worked for several years in the aircraft industry, told Times of Malta said the aircraft was leased from Getjet Airlines of Lithuania and did not appear to be in a good condition. "We boarded with the last passengers and we realized straight away that the plane was very hot inside. I asked them if it was possible to cool down the cabin a bit, but they replied that they...