Early summer passenger figures highlight Air Malta growth

Air Malta registered a 42% increase in passengers in June this year, when compared to the same month last year, figures show.

The national airline saw a 38% increase in passengers in the month of May, and a total of 386,504 passengers travelled with the airline during both months.

Half of the growth registered by the Malta International Airport came from Air Malta routes, as 89,918 out of 178,976 passengers travelled with the airline.

“Our growth strategy enabled us to tap into 21 new markets and increase traffic on our network. The absolute majority of our new routes are performing well,” Air Malta Chief Commercial Officer Paul Sies said, adding that he is confident that such growth can make the airline profitable again.

Similarly, the airline’s Chairman, Charles Mangion, said that the the double digit growth has been positively received by tourism stakeholders who now consider Air Malta to be a growing airline. “These results give us confidence that we are on the right track,” he said.

Mangion explained that Air Malta is not only increasing passengers but also improving seat factors, particularly with the addition of the new Airbus A320neo. “We now have a full fleet compliment and we look forward to continue our fleet renewal process in the coming months.”

“These figures augur well for the future not just for Air Malta but for the whole Maltese islands that depend so much on the airline’s contribution to the Maltese economy,” Transport Minister Konrad Mizzi said.