Malta International Airport welcomed 236,552 passengers in January, 13.2 per cent, or 27,000 - equivalent to 50 fully loaded Boeing 747s, more than in the same month last year.

Over the last five years, traffic in January increased cumulatively by 40 per cent, clearly indicating that Malta’s strategy to stimulate traffic during the shoulder months was working, MIA said, adding that an 11 per cent growth was also registered over November, December, and January.

Last month’s growth is attributed to a nine per cent increase in seat capacity, driven by the Italian, Turkish, and Spanish markets. Traffic from the UK grew by 2.7 per cent, holding on to its top market position, as a result of an increased seat load factor.

Meanwhile an increase in aircraft movements to Munich contributed to a 17.2 per cent increase in German passengers, whereas the French market suffered losses of 16.7 per cent, due to a reduction in routes served.

London, Frankfurt, and Rome were January’s top destinations, while Istanbul registered the most significant growth with an increase of 39.5 per cent. This continued to consolidate the upward trend in traffic from Turkey, which increased steadily over the past months.