Malta Airport will double the number of passengers to 5.8 million in 2022, investing €175 million over 5 years
- 421,500 passengers travel through Malta International Airport in December, 5.8 million for the whole year
- Full-year traffic for 2022 remained 20 percent below 2019’s record levels
- Malta International Airport will invest 175 million euros in the airport campus in the next five years of transformation
Malta International Airport’s traffic for December amounted to 421,468 passenger movements, which translated into a recovery of 88.3 percent of pre-pandemic traffic.
While the daily traffic in December averaged around 13,000 passenger movements, on the busiest days of the month, namely the 23rd, 29th and 30th of December, the International Airport team of Malta served more than 17,000 passengers.
A high seat load factor (SLF) of 81 percent indicated that demand for air travel remained very strong in December, particularly as many went home for the festive season and others made the most of the holidays with a trip abroad.
Italy was the most popular destination in December, with a market share of 21.4 percent, followed by the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and Poland.
The French and Polish markets experienced remarkable growth over pre-pandemic levels, with the former registering a 26 percent increase and the latter up 58.7 percent over 2019. On the other hand, the number of passengers traveling to and from the other three markets was lower than pre-pandemic December levels.
December’s results brought full year traffic up to 5.8 million passenger movements, with this total being 20 percent below Malta International Airport’s record full year traffic for 2019 . rate.
The next five years will be transformational for Malta International Airport, as the company invests around €175 million in the evolution of the airport campus, of which €39 million is planned to be released this year. the year.
During a press conference held earlier today, the CEO of Malta International Airport, Alan Borg, presented key points from the company’s five-year capital investment plan. Mr. Borg described the investment program as essential for the fulfillment of the company’s vision of taking passenger numbers beyond the record levels reached in 2019, while maintaining the highest levels of service and deliver on its climate related promises.
The transformation of Malta International Airport has been given the green light with the approval of the design concept for the first phase of the Terminal Expansion Project, which will see the extension of the building to the west. More immediate projects, which are slated for completion in 2023, include doubling the current footprint of the customs area, unveiling a covered walkway connecting Park East to the terminal, and improving the offering of food and drink with the introduction of two new stores.
Meanwhile, works on the €40 million Apron X project, which will enhance Malta International Airport’s aircraft parking capacity and its ability to handle mixed fleet operations, have picked up the pace, as the company looks towards the summer of 2024 for the completion and utilization of the first parking stands. Over the next few years, the company will also be investing heavily in the maintenance of its airfield infrastructure, mainly through extensive runway resurfacing works.
“We are excited to be able to share parts of our five-year vision for the airport. Carrying out so many ambitious projects while the terminal remains operational will certainly not be an easy feat, but we recognize our responsibility to ensure that, as the entry point for the majority of tourists visiting the islands, Malta International Airport continues to evolve and rank among the best European airports,” said Alan Borg, while continuing to thank the team and all interested parties for supporting the company’s vision.
Destinations that rely heavily on tourism are in a better position to continue to recover at a steady pace over the coming year, and Malta International Airport is committed to continuing to work with the Malta Tourism Authority to Maltese Islands are put on the map as a destination of choice. Based on the current winter schedule and the traffic developments that have been confirmed for the next summer season, the airport expects to host 6.3 million passengers in 2023, recovering 86 percent of the traffic of ‘ before the pandemic.
“I believe that the success of the faster than expected recovery of the tourism industry after the pandemic is largely due to the synergy that has been achieved among all stakeholders, and a key one is the International Airport of Malta. As an Authority we look forward to continuing to work hand in hand with Malta International Airport to ensure that connectivity remains at the top of our agenda as the tourism industry of the Maltese Islands is practically all dependent on air travel. The results at the end of the year 2022 with more than 2.2 million tourists expected when the NSO publishes the December 2022 data are once again an affirmation that the recovery of the sector in Malta is moving fast in the right path and as an Authority, we remain committed to being there, with MIA and all interested parties, to ensure that 2023 will see the sector grow stronger in its recovery,” said the Chief Executive of the Malta Tourism Authority Carlo Micallef.
The company also expects to generate revenue of €97 million, achieve EBITDA of €59 million, and make a profit of €29 million.