The total number of passengers passing through Malta International Airport in October was equivalent to August 2010, the busiest month of every year.

Airport traffic broke records every month this year and, for the first time, even September and October reached figures previously only recorded during peak months.

“Our peak summer figures are now spilling into winter, showing a positive change in seasonality,” Malta International Airport CEO Markus Klaushofer said.

Ten months of one record after another have now culminated in a five-month streak of exceptional performance: more than 400,000 passengers passing through the airport every month from June to October. Up till last year, that figure had not even been reached in June.

The traffic registered last month marks an increase of 17.5 per cent over the same period last year, with 409,575 passengers in total.

October’s success was due to growth in all the major markets. Traffic from Germany – the second biggest market – grew by 47.7 per cent. Growth in Germany was in part driven by the cruise and fly operation that extended to the month of October, as well as added capacity.

In all, there were over 3.5 million passenger movements so far this year, an increase of 9.9 per cent compared with the same period last year.