A new solar farm constructed by Malta International Airport is "an important step in our journey towards achieving net zero by 2050," Malta International Airport (MIA) CEO Alan Borg told The Malta Independent.

The solar farm, completed in 2025, will generate around 5.1 million units of clean energy each year, all of which will be consumed on site, Borg said, describing it as a "major milestone" for the company.

Malta International Airport has also made other investments that help move towards its aims. He mentioned that the company has invested approximately €11 million in upgrading HVAC systems "to the latest, most efficient technology."

"We also initiated the transition to LED lighting on the airfield during Covid, among several other initiatives aimed at improving our overall energy efficiency. All these efforts to reduce our direct emissions, together with the use of high-quality carbon credits to offset the amount of residual emissions where mitigation options are still being explored, have allowed us to progress to Level 3+ in the Airport Carbon Accreditation programme, which means neutrality status."

"This was a significant achievement for us and a clear recognition of the progress we're making," Borg said.

SkyParks 2 is another major project that MIA is working on, Borg said. One element of the project includes the construction of a four-star hotel, Borg said. He said that this is not an airport hotel, "it is in fact a business hotel. With the development of SkyParks and SkyParks 2, we expect to have around 3,000 people working on site when works are completed. So, we felt that having a hotel very close to this business hub would make a lot of sense. We are currently in the final negotiations and expect to unveil the brand visuals of the hotel in the coming weeks."

The other two blocks of the SkyParks 2 project will mainly be dedicated to office space, he said, adding that it will also enhance the amenities found in the existing SkyParks Business Centre. Works on the whole of SkyParks 2 are expected to be completed by the end of 2027.

Asked whether MIA has any long-term investments planned, he said that the company has its hands full with the terminal expansion and SkyParks 2, but said that in its master plan there was space for an additional business centre, "which we may consider at a later time."

In terms of the company's shareholder dividends for the coming year, he said that the company aims to "always have a balancing act between continuing to invest in the great team at MIA, and ensuring that the company's shareholders get a return on their investment, ultimately ensuring that any investments we are making can be financed. I can promise shareholders stability. Over the past years we have been a stable dividends payer and this will not change in the short-term."

In terms of the MIA's workforce, it currently has 535 employees, and Borg says that this number will likely continue to grow.

As for the geopolitical situation and if he has any concerns about its impact on tourism to Malta, he said that the sector is particularly resilient. "If you look at what's happened over the past few years, we've still managed record numbers. There are obviously some markets which you cannot fly to for obvious reasons. It's something we keep an eye on, but our guidance already spoke about a 5% growth over last year, so taking all of this into account we still feel it will be a good year."

The first part of the interview, which focused on the East side expansion of the airport's terminal, as well as the Malta-US direct flights starting this year, was carried in yesterday's edition of The Malta Independent on Sunday.