Malta International Airport welcomed 848,716 passengers in July, beating the airport’s previous monthly record - recorded in August 2019 - by more than 25,000 passenger movements.

Aircraft movements during the month remained in line with July 2019 levels, while seat capacity saw an increase of 3.8 per cent as a result of larger aircraft being operated on flights to Malta.

The monthly seat load factor rose by 2.1 per cent over pre-pandemic levels to reach 89.1 per cent, as demand for travel remained very strong for yet another month.

Italy showed no signs of ceding the top spot to the UK, which was the second most popular market for the month.

The French market continued to perform exceptionally well, registering a growth of 52 per cent over 2019, and outperforming Germany to rank third.

Five airlines connect MIA to 10 French airports, contributing to this market’s increasing popularity.

Passenger traffic from Spain grew by a marginal 1.2 per cent compared to pre-pandemic levels, with this market retaining the same position it has held since May 2023.

Busier days ahead

While the terminal was already a hive of activity in July, the August holiday rush is set to bring busier days.

Traffic is expected to peak on August 17 and 24, with each one of these days forecast to see more than 32,000 passengers.

Passengers who will be travelling on either day are reminded to be at the terminal at least two hours before the scheduled time of departure. 

Earlier this month, MIA's chief executive officer Alan Borg said the company expected 7.2 million passengers to pass through its gates this year.

If achieved, the figure would represent a 25 per cent increase in passenger numbers over 2022 and fall just shy of the 7.3 million record achieved in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic.