Malta airport pax numbers up 4.1% in January

Although the figure was slowing due to the winter period, Malta International Airport still experienced its passenger volume growing by year-on-year 4.1% in January, reaching a total of 366,015 people during the first month of the year, according to a press statement issued by the airport.

January’s increase in passenger numbers was accompanied by year-on-year 9.9% increase in aircraft movements and a rise of 7.9% in seat capacity, while seat load factor (SLF) for the stood at 69%, figures by the airport show.

Considering the top five markets, Spain registered a rise of 87.2%, and France was up by 12%. “In January, Malta International Airport’s traditional top driver of passenger traffic, the UK (-3.2%) was outperformed by the Italian market (-0.8%), by 604 passenger movements, and followed by the German market (-8.3%),” the press statement said.

Beyond the top five markets, traffic from Hungary has seen a striking boost of 42.4% in January, chiefly fuelled by the extension of the Budapest route from summer 2018 into winter. The airport expects further growth on this vertical due to the introduction of a flight to Debrecen in summer 2019.