Malta International Airport has been classified as the fourth overall best airport in Europe, according to the Airport Service Quality Survey 2009 of the Airport Council International.
According to the survey, MIA is preceded by the airports of Keflavik (Iceland), Zurich and Porto. It has also been classified as the third best in Europe for its shopping facilities.
In a statement, MIA said this result was attributable to recent improvements which were unveiled in 2009, most notably the expansion of the retail area, with its concept of a virtual walk-through shopping mall.
MIA also fared very well on other scores, such as parking facilities and its related value for money, placing fifth in Europe. Good results were also achieved for availability of banking facilities, internet and Wi-Fi access, with MIA placing fourth in Europe.
The survey has earned recognition as a world-class benchmarking programme and has grown steadily over the past four years. It comprises 140 participating airports.