MIA registers 85% seat occupancy in October

Summer came to a close in October for the aviation industry, with Malta International Airport welcoming approximately 1.05 million passengers during this month, MIA said Thursday.

This strong traffic performance was registered on the back of an increase of 6.6 per cent in aircraft movements, as the Maltese Islands benefitted from connections to more than 110 destinations throughout the season.

In parallel, seat capacity increased by 9.1 per cent, with seat occupancy remaining high at 84.7 per cent.

With a market share of 21 per cent, the United Kingdom topped October’s market leaderboard, followed by Italy and Poland. The three top markets registered varying degrees of growth, ranging between 3.7 per cent (Italy) and 34.6 per cent (Poland).

Ranking fourth and fifth respectively, Germany and France both registered a decline in passenger movements. While Germany’s drop was negligible at 0.2 per cent, France registered a more significant drop of 12.3 per cent following the discontinuation of two routes by two airlines.

Malta’s market outlook for winter remains relatively positive, with passenger traffic expected to remain largely unchanged from that registered during the previous winter. At the same time, the broader aviation environment is set to be influenced by high fuel prices and operational costs, impacting airline profitability and planning.