Airport departure terminal set to double in size

The airport’s departure terminal will double in size, plans unveiled on Wednesday showed.

Malta International Airport on Wednesday unveiled an updated investment programme totalling €345 million, which will deliver operational, commercial and sustainability-related improvements between 2025 and 2029.

Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg said that this programme will build on the investments undertaken by the company over the past two years to continue future-proofing the airport infrastructure.

He presented key investments that are set to be concluded in 2025, including the Apron 8 South project, which will increase aircraft parking capacity by 40%, and the Westward Expansion, which has seen the terminal grow by 1,550sq.m to allow for a smoother incoming journey.

renders of the East Expansion project, unveiled at the press conference

With these major projects edging closer to completion, the company announced its next significant investment – the Eastward Expansion.

This will entail the extension of the terminal by 6,000sq.m, which will allow for the introduction of additional gates, check-in desks and circulation space to improve departing guests’ airport experience.

For further convenience, the building will be directly connected to the airport multi-storey car park, Park East.

“Our updated investment programme, particularly the Eastward Expansion, reaffirms our commitment to continue evolving Malta International Airport to further improve the guest experience. The design we have chosen for the new building seeks to integrate contemporary elements with more familiar ones, showing that while we are ready to write the airport’s next chapter, we remain mindful of our past,” MIA CEO Alan Borg said, while expressing his confidence that the airport team and stakeholders will rise to the occasion.

The €345 million investment programme will also see the company invest further in infrastructure that will enable it to honour its environmental commitments, most notably its net zero target.

The airport’s fifth and largest photovoltaic farm, which will more than double clean energy generation capacity once commissioned in Q3 2025, will be complemented by energy-saving measures, such as upgraded heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems.

Taking the floor at the press conference, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Tourism Ian Borg commended the airport’s multi-million capital investment, remarking that with 99% of our tourists arriving in Malta by air, air connectivity and the country’s only airport are critical to our tourism industry.

“The infrastructural investment announced today is a major step forward in Malta’s efforts to constantly optimise our tourism product. All stakeholders, including the authorities, the private sector and our communities, share this common interest and responsibility. Malta International Airport’s ongoing and upcoming projects are testament to the private sector’s confidence in the future of our tourism industry, and as a government we are determined to continue supporting all investments in the efficiency, digital transition and sustainability of our tourism industry,” Ian Borg said.