January is worst month for Malta International Airport since reopening in summer

Passenger traffic through Malta International Airport dropped by 90.7% in January, with 38,938 passengers travelling through the airport.

The company said January was its worst month since reopening in July 2020; stemming partly from recent travel bans and more stringent requirements in popular markets such as the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Belgium.

The airport said that the UK slid four places compared to January 2020, ranking sixth in MIA’s top market list, with Italy, Germany, France, Turkey, and Belgium all outperforming it in passenger movements.

MIA said there was also a significant drop in weekly flight frequencies for January. From among MIA’s top airports for the month, Rome Fiumicino was hit hardest, as the 27 weekly flights operated in January 2020 were whittled down to just eight last month.

The airport said changing travel requirements and restrictions also impacted overall connectivity, with Malta International Airport’s direct connections being limited to just 28 scheduled routes in January 2021 as opposed to 99 scheduled routes operated in January 2020.