An Air Malta flight from Geneva to Malta on Saturday had to return to base twice shortly after departure due to technical issues.

In a brief statement, the airline said that the issue with the aircraft operating flight KM483 was "swiftly identified" and the aircraft landed safely in Geneva.

Air Malta said the safety of passengers and crew were top priority and an engineering team is working to resolve the issues.

Customers, it said, were provided with overnight hotel accommodation.

It apologised for the inconvenience and thanked passengers for their patience and understanding.