Malta International Airport among best EU passenger traffic performers in April
MIA welcomed 1.08 million passengers in May
Malta International Airport was among the best-performing airports in Europe for passenger traffic in April, according to a report by Airports Council International.
The airport registered 13.5% growth in passenger traffic in April, placing it among the strongest performers within the EU+ group, the airport said.
The momentum continued into May, when MIA welcomed 1.08 million passengers, helped by a summer schedule offering more than 110 destinations.
The schedule includes three new routes launched last month.
Additional flights led to an 18.6% increase in seat capacity. Despite the added capacity, the airport still recorded a seat load factor of 83.5%, indicating continued strong demand for travel to Malta.
MIA said this reflected a wider trend identified by the European Travel Commission, which found that southern European and Mediterranean destinations were the preferred choice for European travellers this summer.
The airport’s most popular markets remained largely unchanged from previous months. The United Kingdom retained the top spot, accounting for 21.3% of traffic.
Italy, Poland, Germany and France completed the top five markets, with growth rates ranging from 8% to 62.5%.
The airport’s expanded summer schedule comes after Ryanair announced four new Malta routes for summer 2026 - Tirana, Palma, Newcastle and Gothenburg - while KM Malta Airlines has also added Palermo and Málaga to its network. Delta has meanwhile launched a seasonal direct connection between Malta and New York, restoring regular direct Malta-US flights for the first time in decades.