Momentous June Rounds Off Strong First Half For Malta Airport’s Expanding Route Network

An eventful June rounded off a strong first half of 2026, with Malta International Airport further expanding its route network through the launch of two strategic services. Building on Malta’s existing connections to the Scandinavian region, Norwegian inaugurated its new connection to Billund on 3rd June. Five days later, the airport achieved a significant milestone, as it welcomed the first-ever flight between John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Malta International Airport operated by a United States carrier, Delta Air Lines.

These latest additions capped a six-month period marked by continued network expansion and sustained passenger demand. By the end of June, the airport registered 5.2 million passenger movements, marking a 15.6% rise over the corresponding period in 2025.

The year began with a particularly strong performance during the winter season (January to March), when passenger traffic grew by 15.4% compared to the same period last year. While airlines offered 2.6 million seats, increasing by 14.1%, the average seat load factor reached 81.1%, marking a marginal increase over 2025 despite the increased capacity deployed.

This positive momentum carried into the start of the summer season (April to June), when airlines continued to invest in additional capacity. Almost 3.8 million seats were made available during this quarter, representing an 18.8% increase over 2025. Passenger traffic rose by 15.7%, while seat load factor also remained strong at 83.7%.

The United Kingdom retained its position as the airport’s largest market, accounting for 20.0% of passenger traffic during the first half of the year. Traffic from the UK grew by 14.6% year-on-year, supported by expanded operations from Jet2 and the introduction of several new routes, including Ryanair and easyJet services to Newcastle, easyJet’s new Glasgow connection, and Jet2’s new operation to London Gatwick.

Italy also continued to perform strongly, growing by 8.5% over 2025, with Rome Fiumicino overtaking London Gatwick to become the airport’s busiest route during the first half of the year. The route moved into first place following Wizz Air’s introduction of daily services at the start of the summer schedule, complementing existing operations by ITA, KM Malta Airlines and Ryanair.

Meanwhile, Poland continued its upward trajectory, recording a 52.4% increase in passenger traffic over the first half of 2025. The market benefited from continued network expansion, including the extension of services to Warsaw-Modlin from the winter schedule into summer and Wizz Air’s introduction of a three-weekly connection to the Polish capital. With three airlines now serving the market, Poland has become one of the airport’s fastest-growing source markets, underlining its increasing importance within the airport’s route network.