• 68.7 per cent drop in traffic in the first half of 2020
• 3,348 passengers travelled to and from Malta on humanitarian flights in June
• Summer schedule now features 49 airport connections

A look at the first half of 2020 shows that traffic through Malta International Airport totalled 1,017,850 passenger movements, translating into a drop of 68.7 per cent over the same comparable period last year.

The year was off to a strong start, with the months of January and February registering double-digit growth of 14.2 per cent and 17.3 per cent respectively.

However, a diminishing demand for air travel resulting from Covid-19 observed at the beginning of March followed by the coming into effect of a travel ban closer to the end of the month, ushered in a most challenging quarter for Malta International Airport.

During the second quarter, just over 8,700 passengers arrived in Malta or left the island on one of 311 humanitarian flights operated as commercial air traffic stood still. 3,348 passenger movements of this total were registered in June.

“The way ahead remains fraught with challenges, but we enter this restart period with determination to continue working with all our stakeholders on boosting passenger confidence and gradually restoring our air connectivity over the coming years, which will be critical in supporting the island’s economic recovery,” said Malta International Airport CEO Mr Alan Borg.

Since announcing its first 17 airport connections for the summer season back in June, Malta International Airport has regularly updated its flight schedule to reflect the most recent developments.

At present, this schedule offers direct flights to 49 airports in 13 European countries, with more connections expected to be added in the coming days as Malta International Airport continues to rebuild its route network.

Published on: 09.07.2020