Malta registers third largest air passenger drop in EU during 2002

EU statistics published in Brussels yesterday confirm the downturn in Maltese tourism since 2001.

According to Eurostat, the EU's statistical arm, in 2002 Malta registered the third largest air passenger decrease of the 25 member states, welcoming 8.6 per cent fewer international passengers than in the previous year.

Eurostat said that after the initial decline in the latter part of 2001 following the tragic events of September 11, the number of registered air transport passengers decreased further in 2002 in most of the EU member states.

At EU-15 level, the 'old' member states prior to enlargement, the number of passengers recorded fell by 2.2 per cent compared to the previous year.

At country level, the picture was mixed. Eurostat said the volume of passengers fell considerably in Belgium (-27.7 per cent), in Sweden (-9.2 per cent), Malta (-8.6 per cent) and Luxembourg (-7 per cent).

Positive developments were registered in Slovakia (+14.9 per cent), but partly due to an increasing number of airlines, as well as in Estonia, France, Ireland and Portugal.

The number of international passengers travelling to and from Malta during 2002 was 2,593,000.

Eurostat also ranked the most popular airport in the EU. London's Heathrow continues to occupy top spot, with a total volume of 63 million passengers. Paris/Charles de Gaulle and Frankfurt am Main compete for second place with very similar figures, around 48 million passengers.

Ruzyne, Prague's airport, is the highest ranked airport among the new member states. It holds position 36 in the EU, handling 6.3 million passengers in 2002.