Air Malta registers 35% increase in passengers during August

Air Malta carried 35% more passengers in August when compared to the same month last year, the airline said on Monday.

According to Air Malta, August has been its busiest month of the year, with the airline registering a 35% increase in passengers on its Malta-based routes, when compared to the same time last year.

The airline carried 244,799 passengers to and from Malta in 2018. 

Air Malta said it was one of the main contributors to the 9.5% increase in tourists passing through the Malta International Airport in August. 

Furthermore, during the month of August the airline carried almost 11,000 passengers on 5th freedom routes, namely Catania - Vienna, Catania – London Southend and Cagliari – London Southend routes. Fifth freedom routes allow an airline to carry revenue traffic between foreign countries as a part of services connecting the airline's own country. 

Paul Sies, Air Malta’s Chief Commercial Officer noted that Air Malta had increased its passenger loads substantially every month over the past year.  Air Malta,  he said, had achieved an average seat factor of 83% this month. 

Air Malta’s Chairman Charles Mangion added that the airline had once again seen double digit growth in passenger numbers.

"Despite these good results we need to continue actively selling the additional capacity we floated on the market this winter during which we will maintain many of the routes we introduced this year and focus our marketing and sales efforts in the German market with the launch of flights to Berlin, Hamburg and Leipzig this November,” Mangion said.

Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi said the airline was working hard with other tourism stakeholders to bring more tourists to the islands, especially during the shoulder and winter months.