Ryanair, the low-cost carrier, has welcomed Malta International Airport's statistics for 2007 which show that the airline delivered 70 per cent of the island's air passenger growth last year.

Ryanair carried 222,000 passengers to/from Malta last year and now operates eight routes, five of which started as recently as October and December.

The airline said it will deliver at least 350,000 passengers to/from Malta this year, generating a visitor spend of €70 million (Lm30,051,000) and supporting 350 local jobs.

Welcoming the record statistics, Ryanair's Peter Sherrard said: "Ryanair's low fares have generated unprecedented growth for Malta and demonstrated that, while others talk, we deliver.

"However, this growth is just touching the surface of what could be achieved by opening many more low-fare routes. We hope the Maltese government will now take the initiative and unlock the island's true tourism potential by supporting the rapid development of low-fare routes for the benefit of the island, people and economy of Malta."