Malta airport pax numbers grow 5.9% in winter

Malta International Airport saw a year-on-year 5.9% growth in passenger numbers in the November-March period, exceeding the two million glass ceiling, according to a press statement issued by MIA. November was fastest-growing winter month, with an increase of 11.8%.

An 8.1% increase in aircraft movements and a 7.6% increase in seat capacity accompanied the aforementioned passenger number growth. Seat load factor (SLF) for the season stood at 76.0%, the airport says. The Maltese islands are becoming an increasingly popular destination in the off-peak months, which is in line with the tourism strategy to mitigate seasonality.

“Having an extensive route network is crucial in securing year-round traffic, but it is the unceasing efforts of our people which ensure that we can continue to provide safe and delightful airport journeys to an ever-increasing number of passengers. Whil thanking the MIA team and all airport stakeholders for their contribution to what has been a good winter, I encourage everyone to keep up the excellent work in the summer months ahead,” said Alan Borg, CEO of MIA.

With the exception of Germany — seeing a drop of 2.9%—, all of Malta International Airport’s top five markets experienced growth. Spain and France registered 63.1% and 14.7% growth respectively, followed by Italy and the United Kingdom growing by 3.3% and 0.3% respectively. Beyond the top five drivers of traffic, Slovakia, Portugal and Estonia performed exceptionally well, according to MIA.

Bringing the winter period to a close, March registered an increase of 1.3% in passenger movements, which modest increase is mainly due to the fact that the Easter holiday effect occurred in March last year, the airport says.