Passenger traffic through Malta International Airport in February dipped to an all-time low since the airport’s reopening to commercial flights in July. 
 
In a notice on the Malta Stock Exchange, the airport said that totalling just 27,524 passenger movements, February traffic registered a drop of 93.5 per cent over February 2020.

From among the airport’s top 10 markets, the United Kingdom registered the largest drop in passenger numbers as a ban restricting travel between the two countries remains in place.  

Flights to and from the UK, traditionally one of Malta's largest markets, were suspended in late December, except for Maltese residents and nationals, in a bid to curb the spread of the UK variant. 
 
“If the industry is to see the predicted signs of recovery by the start of summer, urgent and coordinated stakeholder action, which would allow the safe restart of travel and tourism activities, is needed at national and European levels," Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg said.

“While the focus should remain on the effective roll-out of vaccination programmes, other key matters, including health certificates and leveraging mobile technology to enable the reopening of borders, should also be given due importance."
 
February marked a year since MIA first reported the early effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, manifested in declining seat load factors - particularly on Italian routes - as the demand for air travel started to wane towards the end of the month. 
 
With consumer confidence and air travel demand remaining particularly low, seat capacity deployed by airlines last month was at just 10 per cent of levels in the same month last year.

Standing at 52.5 per cent, February’s seat load factor showed that only just over half the seats available on flights to and from Malta were occupied throughout the month.