Former national airline registered longest employee tenure in Malta – study

Air Malta has been ranked as the company with the highest employee retention rate in Malta, according to a new global study by payroll and HR provider Moorepay.

The analysis found that workers at the national airline remain with the company for an average of 10.8 years, placing it among the countries where employees stay longest with a single employer.

The former National airline (Air Malta) stopped its operations on 31st March 2024, with a final flight from London Heathrow, and its successor, KM Malta airlines succeeded it. Although the company is no longer flying, in January of this year, Finance Minister Clyde Caruana said in Parliament that 51 people are still employed by Air Malta.

The study examined median employee tenure at more than 3,100 major companies worldwide, using publicly available LinkedIn data to determine which firms best retain their staff. The companies analysed include those with the highest market capitalisations in each country, alongside other significant brands. Data was correct as of July 2025.

A global snapshot of employee loyalty

Moorepay’s findings highlight large differences in retention between countries. Greece topped the global list, with Intracom Holdings reporting a median tenure of 16.8 years, while companies in markets such as the United Kingdom and Singapore recorded significantly lower averages.

Across the world, the study notes that employee turnover remains a growing challenge, driven by factors such as burnout, low wages, toxic work environments, limited promotion opportunities and a general rise in job-hopping culture. In the US, median private-sector tenure stands at just 3.5 years, while in the UK almost a quarter of workers are actively planning to leave their jobs.

Against this backdrop, companies with above-average tenure are seen as outperforming in talent retention – an increasingly important metric during periods of labour market instability.

Air Malta bucks international trends

With a median tenure of 10.8 years, Air Malta sits well above the averages seen in many advanced economies. While the report does not analyse the drivers behind each company’s performance, long tenure figures often reflect factors such as:

• job stability and clear career progression
• strong workplace culture
• competitive compensation packages
• the nature of the industry – aviation historically sees relatively long tenure due to specialised roles and training requirements

The ranking comes at a noteworthy time in the national airline’s history, as the legacy carrier continues transitioning into KM Malta Airlines, which began operating in 2024. Although the study refers specifically to Air Malta based on LinkedIn data, the finding suggests historically strong retention across much of the organisation’s workforce.

Data is correct as of July 2025.