Malta International Airport forecasts €73 million in revenues for 2017

2016 has ended on a positive note for Malta International Airport, which reached an important 5 millionth passenger milestone in December and exceeding expectations, closing the year having welcomed 5,080,071 passengers.

Traffic grew by 10% over the previous year, on the back of a 4.5% growth in aircraft movements and a 7.6% increase in seat capacity. Standing at 83.3%, seat load factor (SLF) for 2016 climbed up by 1.82 percentage points over the previous year, signalling a marked efficiency by airlines to fill up available seats.

A monthly breakdown shows the airport succeeded in hosting more guests during its shoulder months than the previous year, with November and December registering the highest spikes in passenger numbers of 22.4% and 32.2%, respectively. Featuring 18 new connections and increased flight frequencies, Malta International Airport’s present winter schedule offers the most connections yet for this period and is expected to contribute to further growth in the shoulder months.

Other highlights included:

· Total Revenue is expected to reach over €73 million.

· EBITDA is expected to reach over €40 million.

· Net Profit is projected to reach over €20 million.

· Capital Investments are estimated at €18 million.

· Net Debt is estimated to be not more than €14 million.

· Annual taxes and dividend contributions to government are expected to be in the region of €14 million.

The top markets for 2016 were the United Kingdom, which saw an increase of 5.4 per cent, Italy, which grew by 15.3 per cent, Germany which grew by 8.0 per cent, France, registering a growth of 5.5%, and Spain, which registered a growth of 26.7 per cent. The airport also revealed three new routes for summer 2017, namely Bordeaux operated by Volotea and Cluj Napoca and Katowice operated by Wizzair.

Works on the Terminal Reconfiguration project are now in full swing, and will stretch into the forthcoming year. On completion the terminal will be furnished with additional check-in desks, a security area that is double its current footprint, and a new Observation Deck and La Valette Lounge on Level 3.