Malta International Airport welcomed 296,250 passengers in February, translating into a remarkable 25.2% increase in traffic over the same period in 2016, in spite of the fact that this year the month was a day shorter. This makes February the fourth, consecutive winter month to register double-digit growth, in line with the airport’s strategy to attract more traffic in the shoulder months.

On the busiest day in February, which coincided with Carnival weekend, the airport team was kept busy with a total of 13,679 passengers passing through the terminal.

Growth in passenger numbers was experienced in parallel with an upturn of 22.3% in aircraft movements and an increase of 29.4% in seat capacity. Standing at 76.8%, seat load factor (SLF), however, registered a decrease of 2.6 percentage points over last year.

Malta International Airport’s top markets remained largely unchanged from January, with the United Kingdom topping the list followed by Italy, Germany, Belgium, and France. More than half of the 59,602 additional passengers welcomed last month travelled from Italy, Germany and Belgium, with enhanced connectivity to these markets contributing to their notable growth.

Outside of the top five markets, Spain and Poland were important contributors to February’s total traffic, accounting for 12,435 passengers and 8,253 passengers, respectively. Both of these markets have been experiencing steady growth, following stepped-up efforts to redevelop the Spanish market and enhance connectivity to Eastern Europe.

The maximum take-off weight (MTOW) at the airport also experienced a 30.0% growth to reach 96,282 tonnes, while the weight of cargo and mail increased by 25.5% to reach 1,359 tonnes.