The number of Maltese passengers departing by air and sea in the first four months of 2006 amounted to 61,333, a reduction of one per cent over the same period a year ago, the National Statistics Office said yesterday.

Of these, around 98 per cent spent less than six months away from Malta.

In the period under review, the destination most frequently visited was the United Kingdom, accounting for 27.4 per cent of the total number of Maltese travelling abroad by air and sea, followed by Italy, Belgium and Germany.

In the first four months of 2006, male outbound passengers significantly exceeded female ones, the former accounting for 64.4 per cent of the total. The greatest proportion of outbound passengers – 46.4 per cent – were aged between 25 and 44, followed by passengers in the 45-64 and 15-24 age brackets, at 43.3 and 6.3 per cent respectively.

April 2006

Maltese passengers during the month under review reached a total of 19,120. Of these, 17,209 travelled by air, an increase of 29.3 per cent, compared to the same month last year. The overseas stay of the majority of Maltese air passengers – around 97 per cent – did not exceed six months.