As the Maltese islands edged closer to the reopening of travel and tourism, Malta International Airport registered 75,420 passenger movements during the month of May.

This total for May translates into a drop of 88.8% compared to the same month in 2019, but marks a slight improvement over the first four months of 2021, during which monthly passenger movements consistently remained below the 40,000 mark, a statement by the Malta International Airport read.

"The top markets for May were Italy, Germany, France, Poland and Turkey, with the results registered by these markets being driven by the relaxation of certain restrictions on travel from Malta and the resumption of flight operations to a number of regional airports. Turkey, on the other hand, remained an important connecting hub for passengers who could not travel directly to their final destination due to restrictions in place."

The seat load factor (SLF) for the month of May - indicating the percentage of seats occupied on flights operated to and from Malta International Airport - stood at 62%.

Malta International Airport expects seat capacity deployed by airlines in June to increase by more than double the capacity for the month of May, as passenger demand is expected to gradually start recovering.