Summer continues to prove busy for Malta International Airport, with July alone registering more than 580,000 passenger movements; nearly as many people as the population of Scotland’s biggest city, Glasgow.

July’s figures translate into a growth of 5.9% in passenger movements over the same month last year, partly due to an increased seat capacity of 3.1% and a better seat load factor (SLF). With an efficiency of 88% in filling up available seats, last month’s seat load factor established a new record for July.

The top five markets remained relatively unchanged, with the United Kingdom topping the list followed by Italy, Germany, and France. With a marked growth of 20.8%, Spain secured the fifth spot, successfully re-establishing itself among Malta’s top five markets for the first time this year. These encouraging results come in the wake of Malta International Airport’s stepped up efforts to recoup traffic from Spain, with this market experiencing the highest growth rate when compared to the other markets.

Meanwhile, Germany recorded the second most substantial growth rate, at 10.6%. This growth partly stems from the introduction of new routes to Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Karlsruhe.

With July’s passenger movements taken into account, the total number of passengers who have passed through Malta International Airport this summer exceeds 2 million.

 Last week, Skytrax, the leading air transport industry audit organisation, awarded four stars to Malta International Airport. The terminal fared remarkably well in most of the audited areas and scooped up more than four stars for its signage systems, new website, car park facilities, Internet and Wi-Fi availability, food and beverage offering, and the La Valette lounges.