Works are set to begin later this year on a plan to expand the departure terminal of Malta International Airport to double its current size.

MIA CEO Alan Borg, who announced the project, said the airport will file its plans with the Planning Authority in March and hopes to get approval in the second quarter of the year.

Check-in desks will almost double from 36 to 68, and departure gates will increase to 24, up from 18.

Borg said the airport is planning to begin work by the end of 2025 but asked when the new terminal will open, he was unable to give a deadline. He said he would be able to provide a time frame once contractors for the project are appointed.

BEFORE: The airport as it is today. Photo: MIA

AFTER: The airport's expansion plans. Photo: MIA

In January 2020, the MIA announced plans to double the footprint of the airport but they were mothballed later that year due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the aviation industry. 

On Wednesday, Borg announced fresh plans, for a“game-changing” eastward expansion, which is part of a €345 million four-year investment programme, will mean more space for the airport’s operations, passengers, and shops.

“Ideally, we would have this done by yesterday,” Borg added.

Of the €345 investment pot, some €201 million will be used for improving airport operations and the expansion will "take up a significant portion of that", Borg said. 

Circulation space and baggage sorting space will both double, while commercial space will increase from around 6,000 square meters to roughly 7,250 square meters.

Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg presents plans for the airport extension. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

He said the airport will do its best efforts to avoid disruption while works are ongoing. 

The new east wing of the airport will retain the same architectural style as the current terminal, which was built in 1990, Borg said.

“We will be using limestone and incorporating arches while making use of transparent glass to have as much natural light as possible in the terminal,” he said.

Other projects in the €345 million plan include the completion of VIP terminal and the SkyParks expansion, announced in 2023, changing the airport’s lightbulbs to LEDs and building MIA’s fifth solar farm are among those projects.

Borg also said that the arrivals terminal expansion is complete, and in the coming days, travellers arriving from Schengen countries will use a new corridor to enter the baggage claim area.

This will give more space for border checks for travellers arriving from non-Schengen countries, he said.

Tourism Minister Ian Borg praised the expansion plans as he pointed to Malta’s growing tourism numbers.

Tourism Minister Ian Borg, right, praised the expansion plans. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

“In 2024, our visitor numbers reached three times the level recorded in 2009," he said.

“As the gateway to Malta, our airport plays a crucial role in shaping the first and last impressions of millions of visitors each year. It is more than just a transport hub; it is a vital engine driving tourism, trade, and investment,” the tourism minister said.