Malta International Airport has upgraded its growth predictions for the current year from 2.4% growth it laid down at the beginning of the year to 4.2%. This growth rate, if achieved, will mean 4.2 million passengers will pass through MIA’s portals this year.
Last year, the 4 millionth passenger was welcomed on 29 December. This year, it is hoped, this figure will be reached around the last week of November. And that’s not taking any possible mass exodus of people from Libya passing through MIA.
Markus Klaushofer
Announcing the half-yearly results, MIA CEO Markus Klaushofer said passengers have increased by 132,000 or 7.7% over the same period last year. Flight movements increased by 1,038 or 7.5% and seat load factor increased slightly by 0.5PPD to 75.6% and seat capacity increased by 160,000 mainly through new airlines coming to Malta and new routes by airlines serving Malta.
Cargo and mail decreased slightly by 478 tonnes and general aviation increased by 352 aircraft movements to 1,284, a healthy 27.4% growth.
Air Malta carried 16,700 more passengers to a total of 795,000 passengers, followed by Ryanair (485,000), EasyJet (146,000), Lufthansa (100,000 – a very good 34.3% growth), Alitalia (45,000), Emirates (almost 40,000, the only airline to suffer a decrease) .
MIA is blessed with a healthy mix between legacy carriers (58%), low cost carriers (39%) and charters (3%). Legacy carriers increased by 1% while charters decreased by 1%.
Once again, the UK remained the top country of people flying to or from Malta with a 30% market share (6.7% increase), followed by Italy (19% market share), Germany (13%), France (7%), while Libya, before it became convulsed with fighting, had a 3% market share which however saw a 26.2% increase before fighting stopped everything.
Among the top destinations only Manchester saw a slight decrease (-3.7%).
New routes added in this period included: British Airways from Gatwick and Fly Niki from Vienna (March); Transavia from Nantes (April), Air Malta from Venice and Parma, and Wizz Air from Bucharest and Sofia and from Gdansk, Brussels Airlines from Brussels, Vueling from Rome and Seville (June); easyJet from Naples and Norwegian from Madrid (July).
From January to May MIA increased passengers by 9.2%, outperforming not just airports in Europe (5.3%) and in the EU (4.3%) but also non-EU (8.7%).
Mr Klaushofer finally announced two investment programmes by MIA:
Expanding the Non-Schengen area by 650sqm, as well as reducing congestion in the area and improving passenger flows in the Schengen area. This will cost an estimated €2 million and work will start in the coming weeks.
Upgrading the VVIP complex which is used by government officials entitled to the service as well as by commercial passengers typically using general aviation (such as the participants of the investor scheme). This upgrading is estimated to cost €450,000.
Finally, Mr Klaushofer thanked the outgoing MTA CEO Josef Formosa Gauci, who was present for the ‘excellent work’ he did.
Mr Formosa Gauci in return thanked all the stakeholders for the results that have been announced, as well as the incoming passengers in the NSO stats just out, are a result of combined efforts.
Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis
Finally, Tourism Minister Edward Zammit Lewis thanked all stakeholders and praised the synergy between MIA and government. He urged MIA to continue to diversify its markets, pointing out that Poland is a very good example of a country from where more tourists are expected.
In question time Mr Klaushofer was asked whether MIA is prepared to cope with an eventual influx of people being brought to Malta by ship from Libya and wanting to fly home. He said MIA had cope with such an influx last time and no doubt will cope this time as well. Minister Zammit Lewis, asked to comment or add, refused to comment.