The flow of passengers in and out of Malta International Airport in June was an all-time record, most probably due to the throng of devotees who went to Rome for the Dun Gorg Preca canonisation ceremony.

140,000 left Malta during the month and 146,000 arrived, an average 10.5 per cent increase on June 2006.

There was also a 13 per cent increase in aircraft movements, MIA’s monthly statistics show.

The statistics also allowed some indirect confirmation of the impact low cost airline Ryanair has on incoming tourism. Passenger movements to and from Luton (on Ryanair) continued to average 9,600 a month while traffic from Ireland (where Ryanair also operates from Malta) was at the 7,000 mark, a 92.5 per cent increase on last year.