• Annual traffic through Malta International Airport has increased by 1 million passengers in less than three years.
• Milestone achieved through hard work and concerted efforts from all industry stakeholders.
• MIA investing significantly to continue to sustain this growth and realise its vision of becoming the best airport in Europe.

Malta International Airport today celebrated its 5 millionth passenger this year, marking a new milestone in its aviation history.

This means that the airport increased its annual traffic by one million passengers in three years and gains further significance when considering that the airport went from 3 million passengers to 4 mil-lion between 2008 and 2013.

“This is a remarkable accomplishment for us, especially since not long ago, the numbers reached today were inconceivable for Malta. Our 5 millionth passenger is welcomed as a testament to the hard work put in by all industry stakeholders,” said Malta International Airport CEO, Alan Borg. “With this new milestone under our belt, we now shoulder added responsibilities that inevitably stem from these numbers. At the top of our priority list is doubtlessly the need to constantly invest in infrastructure that is fitting for Malta’s only air terminal,” Mr Borg added.

While encouraging everyone to continue to pursue service excellence in the coming year, Mr Borg went on to thank the team at Malta International Airport and all stakeholders who were crucial in achieving this milestone, including customs and police officials, the Armed Forces, all airline partners and their ground handlers – Air Malta and Aviaserve – G4S security officers, Servizi Malta staff, and representatives from the retail outlets.

Service excellence, sustainability and further investment are three priorities that will shape the company’s future. In fact, Malta International Airport has entered an ambitious investment phase, with millions of euros being ploughed into both the Terminal and the Airfield in order to keep enhancing Malta’s first and last impression. In the long run, these priorities are expected to help Malta International Airport continue to provide an excellent experience to its guests, without compromising its ability to operate in an environmentally, economically, and socially responsible way.

Malta International Airport brought together key stakeholders in a celebration of the achievement, consisting of a brief fireworks display just outside the terminal, the façade of which was lit up with a light installation made specifically for the occasion. Passengers arriving in Malta on the day were also treated to champagne and live music in the Baggage Reclaim Area.

Minister for Tourism, Dr Edward Zammit Lewis, noted that air connectivity remains a key driver of Government’s strategy for further growth within the tourism sector. Furthermore, the Minister stated that the year-on-year, record performance is also the result of an effective and highly collaborative relationship among all stakeholders within this very important sector of the economy.

Malta Tourism Authority CEO, Paul Bugeja said; “Malta and Gozo keep reaching unprecedented new heights in the tourism success story.  We need to keep on working together and consolidating our synergies to continue building a better and sustainable future for all, in the years to come.”

As part of the celebrations, Denise Incoronato was given a small memento of the occasion. Hailing from Montana in the United States, Mrs Incoronato arrived in Malta on a flight from Rome, together with her family. The family is touring Europe and decided to include Malta in their itinerary upon recommendation of a couple of divers to make sure not to overlook the Maltese islands and their fantastic underwater world.