MLA’s 6.3 mln pax traffic raises end-year optimism

As a 6.7% year-on-year increase boosted passenger traffic to 6.3 million at the Malta International Airport (MLA) in the January-October period, the Mediterranean hub expects to break last year’s pax traffic record at the end of the year, which would lay another milestone for the airport: exceeding seven million passenger movements on total.

The overall performance was significantly boosted by the summer peak season, which saw a 7.7% increase in the April-October period. In parallel with this increase in passenger numbers, aircraft movements and seat capacity grew by 5.6% and 6.8%, respectively, according to MLA statistics. October, in itself, recorded an 8.8% increase over the same month last year, surpassing the 700,000-passenger mark for the first time.

“With another successful summer behind us, the focus has now been shifted to ensuring that the winter and off-peak months deliver results that are in line with our strategy, which is aimed at attracting year-round tourism to the islands,” said MLA CEO Alan Borg.

“Our recently launched winter schedule will continue to make Malta accessible to tourists in the off-peak months, whilst increasing convenience and travel options for locals,” the CEO added.

The top markets for the season were the United Kingdom (+3.3%), Italy (+3.7%), Germany (+17.3%), France (+8.4%) and Spain (+9.3%).