Ħal Far is the largest
industrial estate in
Malta
Malta, officially the Republic of Malta, is an island country in Southern Europe located in the Mediterranean Sea, between Sicily and North Africa. It consists of an archipelago south of Italy, east of Tunisia, and north of Libya. The two ...
. It is at the southern extreme of Malta, between the localities of
Birżebbuġa,
Safi and
Żurrieq
Żurrieq ( ) is a town in the Western Region of Malta. It is one of the oldest towns in the country, and has a population of 11,823 inhabitants as of March 2014. Żurrieq is one of the 10 parishes to be documented in 1436 and is dedicated to S ...
.
In the past, Ħal Far housed the
RAF Hal Far airfield, which was known as HMS Falcon when in the service of the
Royal Navy
The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...
. The airfield was also used in 1954 and 1955 by the US Navy Squadron VP-11 for a tour of six months each year. VP-11 had a complement of 12 aircraft stationed there. The enlisted personnel lived in Quonset huts located within walking distance of the airport.
The runway can still be seen and driven on, leaving Maltese drag racers to use it for drag car racing. Parts of the airfield including the hangar have been converted into detention centres for refugees and asylum seekers.
The area is also home to the historical ''Ħasan'' Cave, the
Wardija Tower and the second largest
Playmobil factory in the world.
References
Industrial parks in Malta
Birżebbuġa
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