Malta International Airport handled 5.2 million passenger movements during the first six months of 2026, an increase of 15.6% compared with the same period last year, as airlines continued to add routes and increase seat capacity.
The strong first-half performance was rounded off by the launch of two new services in June, including the first direct flight between Malta and New York operated by a United States carrier, Delta Air Lines.
Delta Air Lines operated its inaugural service between John F. Kennedy International Airport and Malta International Airport on 8 June, marking a milestone for the airport's long-haul connectivity.
The launch came five days after Norwegian introduced a new connection between Malta and Billund, expanding the airport's links with Scandinavia.
Passenger growth remained strong throughout both the winter and early summer periods. Between January and March, passenger traffic increased by 15.4% compared with the corresponding three months of 2025.
Airlines offered 2.6 million seats during the first quarter, representing a 14.1% increase, while the average seat load factor edged up to 81.1% despite the additional capacity.
The upward trend continued between April and June, when airlines made almost 3.8 million seats available, 18.8% more than during the same quarter last year.
Passenger traffic during the three-month period increased by 15.7%, while the seat load factor stood at 83.7%.
The United Kingdom remained Malta International Airport's largest passenger market during the first half of 2026, accounting for 20% of total traffic.
Passenger movements from the UK increased by 14.6% year-on-year, supported by additional Jet2 operations and the introduction of several new routes.
These included Ryanair and easyJet services to Newcastle, a new easyJet connection to Glasgow and a Jet2 service to London Gatwick.
Italy also recorded further growth, with passenger traffic increasing by 8.5% compared with the first half of 2025.
Rome Fiumicino overtook London Gatwick to become Malta airport's busiest route during the six-month period. The route moved into first place after Wizz Air introduced a daily service at the start of the summer schedule.
Wizz Air's flights joined existing services operated by ITA Airways, KM Malta Airlines and Ryanair.
Poland was one of the airport's fastest-growing markets, recording a 52.4% increase in passenger traffic compared with the first half of last year.
The increase followed the continued expansion of services between Malta and Poland, including the extension of flights to Warsaw-Modlin from the winter schedule into the summer months.
Wizz Air also introduced a three-times-weekly service to Warsaw, meaning that three airlines are now operating between Malta and the Polish market.
The latest figures follow a record year for Malta International Airport, which welcomed more than 10 million passengers in 2025.
During that year, Malta was connected to 111 airports across 37 markets, with flights operated by 34 airlines. Four airlines launched services to and from Malta for the first time during 2025.
The airport announced a €345 million investment programme at the beginning of last year, covering a five-year period and aimed at increasing operational capacity, expanding its retail and property portfolio and reducing its environmental impact.
Projects completed in 2025 included a 1,550-square-metre westward extension of the terminal, four additional aircraft parking stands on Apron 8, a new VIP terminal and the airport's fifth photovoltaic farm.