KM Malta Airlines damaged baggage claim: PIR and seven-day deadline
Short answer: report damaged checked baggage to KM or its representative immediately in the arrivals hall, obtain a PIR and photograph the bag before repair or disposal. Submit the written claim within seven days of receiving the baggage. Include the bag tag, ticket, photographs, purchase information and repair estimate or confirmation that repair is uneconomic. The Montreal Convention limit is currently 1,519 SDR per passenger, but it is a ceiling for proven damage, not a fixed award.
Free eligibility check
Check your case in the form
Enter your route, date and type of disruption. We will check whether your case qualifies for a claim under EU 261/2004 or UK261.
What happened to your flight?
Claim up to €600 for a delayed or cancelled flight.
Choose the situation that applies to your flight:
Ordinary wear, over-packing and pre-existing defects can be excluded. Describe functional damage precisely instead of relying on a photograph alone.
KM and ICAO sources were reviewed on 13 August 2026. The 1,519 SDR ceiling has applied since 28 December 2024.
Immediate checklist
| Step | Evidence |
|---|---|
| Inspect before leaving reclaim | Wide and close photographs |
| Report at baggage services | PIR reference and desk copy |
| Preserve travel documents | Ticket, boarding pass and bag tag |
| Avoid disposal or repair | Keep bag available for inspection |
| Obtain valuation | Purchase receipt, age, repair estimate or irreparable statement |
| Send written claim | Portal acknowledgement within seven days |
If damage becomes visible only after leaving, photograph it immediately and submit within the seven-day period. Explain why it was not reasonably detected at the airport.
PIR and written complaint are different
The PIR records the irregularity at arrival. KM's baggage page instructs passengers to complete one immediately and then submit a claim within seven days. Treat both steps as necessary.
Check the PIR description. "Broken wheel and cracked shell" is stronger than "bag damaged". Add missing contents or wet damage if present. Ask the desk to note that the bag was delivered in that condition.
Save screenshots of the later online claim, uploaded files and case number. A form error near the deadline should be documented and followed by another official written channel.
Damage versus wear and tear
KM excludes normal wear such as minor cuts, scratches, faulty zips, stains, dents and damage to protruding handles, wheels, labels or straps, as well as damage caused by over-packing. An exclusion is not conclusive merely because a wheel or handle is involved; severity, cause and loss of function matter.
| Condition | Evidence focus |
|---|---|
| Cosmetic scuff | Usually wear unless unusually severe |
| Wheel detached and bag unusable | Function, repair estimate and airport report |
| Cracked hard shell | Extent, impact evidence and repairability |
| Contents broken | Packing, item condition and carrier custody |
| Bag burst from over-packing | Weight, closure and pre-flight condition |
| Water contamination | Timing, contents and cleaning or replacement cost |
Photographs taken before travel can help prove prior condition. Baggage age and quality affect valuation.
Repair or replacement value
The aim is to compensate proven loss, not automatically provide a brand-new premium suitcase. Obtain a written repair quote. If repair is impossible or uneconomic, ask the specialist to say so.
Provide original receipt where available, model, purchase date and current equivalent. Reasonable depreciation can apply. If KM offers repair or replacement, compare quality, dimensions and functionality rather than brand name alone.
Do not repair or discard before KM has a reasonable inspection opportunity unless safety or hygiene makes retention impossible. Document that necessity fully.
Montreal Convention ceiling
ICAO revised the baggage liability limit to 1,519 SDR per passenger from 28 December 2024. SDR is an international unit of account, not a euro amount. Currency value changes.
The ceiling combines destruction, loss, damage and delay claims for the passenger's baggage in the relevant carriage. It does not pay automatically and is not multiplied by the number of bags. A higher limit can apply where a special declaration of interest was made at check-in and any supplement paid.
Where belongings of several passengers were inside one checked bag, each owner must prove their own property and loss. Avoid duplicate claims for the same suitcase or item.
Contents and valuables
List damaged contents individually with photographs, age, receipt and repair or replacement evidence. KM's conditions can restrict liability for fragile, valuable or perishable items placed in checked baggage, subject to mandatory law.
Do not inflate a contents list. A credible inventory distinguishes damaged, missing and unaffected items. Keep high-value electronics, documents, medication and jewellery in cabin baggage where security and carriage rules permit.
If theft is suspected rather than impact damage, report missing contents promptly and consider an airport police report where appropriate.
Successive carriers and codeshares
The airline marketing the ticket is not always the baggage carrier. Keep tags showing routing and all operators. Under the Montreal Convention's successive-carriage provisions, claims can be available against specified carriers, including the last carrier or the carrier during whose segment the damage occurred.
KM says through-check is limited to same-ticket journeys with a baggage agreement. On separate tickets where the passenger collected and rechecked the bag, establish which carrier received it in good condition.
The KM delayed and lost baggage guide covers non-arrival and tracing.
Two-year action limit
The written seven-day complaint preserves notice, but it is not the only clock. Article 35 generally extinguishes a Convention damages action after two years, calculated from arrival, scheduled arrival or cessation of carriage under the forum's rules.
Do not confuse this with EU261 fixed compensation. A passenger may have a damaged-bag claim and a separate qualifying flight-delay claim, with different evidence and deadlines.
Submit the claim
Attach PIR, ticket, bag tag, photographs, receipt, age, repair estimate, proof of payment and bank details. State the exact damage and amount. Disclose insurance or other-carrier payments and seek only unrecovered loss.
Keep the bag and all correspondence until resolution. If KM rejects as wear, respond with functional evidence and the airport record rather than a general complaint.
FAQ
How long do I have to claim damaged baggage from KM?
Send the written complaint within seven days of receiving the bag, after making an immediate airport PIR whenever possible.
Is a broken wheel always excluded as wear?
No automatic answer follows. KM lists protruding-item wear among exclusions, but severe functional damage and its cause should be documented and assessed.
Will KM pay the full price of a new suitcase?
Not automatically. Repairability, age, condition, depreciation and proven replacement value matter, subject to the Convention ceiling.
Is 1,519 SDR paid for every damaged bag?
No. It is a per-passenger liability ceiling for proven baggage damage, not a fixed payment per item or suitcase.
Can I repair the suitcase immediately?
Preserve it for inspection where possible. If urgent repair is necessary, photograph everything first and keep an itemised invoice plus the replaced parts.