What was an Air China plane doing on the MIA runway?

An Air China aircraft which landed at the Malta International Airport was a stopover for a government delegation returning from Brazil and had no passengers who stayed in Malta. 

The Boeing 747-400 landed in Malta on Tuesday morning and took off in the afternoon. On board was Chinese vice-president Wang Qishan with a delegation returning from the inauguration of new Brazilian president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva' in Brasilia. 

The aircraft stopped in Malta for a crew rest before continuing on its route to Beijing, sources said. Vice-president Qishan met with Chinese embassy officials during the stopover period, they added. 

An airport spokesperson confirmed the Air China flight “was a PRC [People’s Republic of China] state flight".

The sight of an Air China plane on the MIA runway sparked interest, given that there are no direct flights between Malta and China.  

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