Malta International Airport registered a staggering 13% surge in passenger movements this winter, more than double the increase in traffic seen the year before when MIA registered a 5% growth. This increase is in line with the 10% rise in seats available on the market throughout the season.

A look at the first quarter shows that the year was off to a good start, with 800,724 passenger movements between January and March. This translates to over 100,000 more passengers welcomed at Malta International Airport this year so far.

The quarter ended on a particularly high note, with March registering a remarkable increase of 19% over the previous year, giving the airport team a taste of the busy summer months ahead. March’s strong performance, with 327,524 passenger movements, partly stemmed from the Easter holiday effect. In fact, the two weeks around Easter accounted for the movement of an additional 10,000 passengers through Malta International Airport.

“These figures are the strongest indicators yet that our strategy as a nation to become a year-round destination is reaping the desired results. I would like to take this opportunity to thank our traffic development team for working tirelessly at securing new airlines and introducing new capacity to our Islands, in co-ordination with Government and the MTA. These efforts are crucial in sustaining growth throughout the year, not just in the peak months, which has a whole range of positive implications for the economy and the tourism industry. Together with our stakeholders we will continue working to generate demand for Malta in the shoulder and winter months,” said MIA CEO, Alan Borg.

March brings with it a close to both the first quarter and the winter period for the aviation industry. The top five drivers of traffic to the Maltese Islands during the shoulder months were the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, and Turkey.

Four of these top five markets registered varying degrees of growth due to the introduction of new routes, increased flight frequency, and a consequent growth of seat capacity. France, on other hand, experienced a drop resulting from a capacity decrease.

Last month also saw the unveiling of two new destinations, which enhance Malta’s connectivity with Poland and Germany, as well as the inauguration of a new airline, Volotea.