Passenger movements at Malta International Airport last month increased by 5.9 per cent over the same month last year, partly due to an increased seat capacity of 3.1 per cent and a better seat load factor, the airport said.

In a company announcement, MIA said that with an efficiency of 88 per cent in filling up available seats, last month’s seat load factor established a new record for July.

The top five markets remained relatively unchanged, with the United Kingdom topping the list followed by Italy, Germany, and France. With a marked growth of 20.8 per cent, Spain secured the fifth spot, successfully re-establishing itself among Malta’s top five markets for the first time this year.

The Spanish market is this year experiencing the highest growth rate when compared to the other markets.

Meanwhile, Germany recorded the second highest growth rate, at 10.6 per cent. This growth partly stemmed from the introduction of new routes to Berlin, Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Karlsruhe.

With July’s passenger movements taken into account, the total number of passengers who passed through Malta International Airport this summer exceeded two million.