On February 9, 1992, 140 passengers arrived at Malta International Airport on board a direct flight from Moscow.

They were the first passengers to be welcomed at Malta’s new air terminal building, which had been inaugurated the previous day.

Since then, millions of passengers – 75 million since the airport’s privatisation in 2002 – have walked through the terminal’s doors.

The terminal and its surroundings in 1999. Photo: MIA

The inauguration of the terminal building in 1992 had heralded an exciting era for the local aviation industry and tourism, the airport said in a statement.

The building, which was constructed over two years with an investment of around Lm12 million (€28 million), was designed to cater for future traffic growth, with the aim of eventually handling 2.5 million passengers annually.

But its continuous evolution, particularly through an investment of more than €30 million in two extensions together with a more recent €12 million reconfiguration, allowed Malta International Airport to welcome almost three times as many passengers in 2019 alone.

Malta International Airport had ended what was an exceptional year with a record 7.3 million passengers, 2.8 million of whom were tourists. The COVID-19 pandemic slashed this number in 2020.

The terminal façade ‘crown’ introduced in 2009. Photo: MIA

“Despite the uncertainty that continues to surround our industry, we feel that this anniversary provides us with an opportunity to revisit - together with the public - the people, the moments, the investments and the challenges that turned the past 30 years into a remarkable journey.

“We also hope to get people excited for what lies ahead for the airport and air travel, as we re-affirm our commitment to recover from the blows of COVID-19 and continue to focus on making our airport one of the best in Europe,” MIA CEO Alan Borg said.

He noted that, over the past years, Malta International Airport has grown into a thriving community with 7,000 workers, some directly employed by the company that operates the airport, but most with companies and entities that provide support services ranging from cleaning and ground handling to passenger security screening and passport control.

The terminal and its surroundings in 2021. Photo: MIA

In 2022, the terminal should be getting a completely revamped food court boasting an elevated aesthetic and a much wider food offering.

The food court on Level -1 was originally introduced inside the terminal in 2009, when an extension had brought about major improvements to the facilities and given the airport façade its current look.

Another planned project is the expansion of the customs area to enhance the guest experience.

Two other projects in the pipeline that will allow for further growth, both in terms of passenger traffic and the company’s retail and property portfolio, are the development of Apron X and the construction of SkyParks 2.