A record 693,537 passengers went through Malta International Airport last month, resulting in an increase of 14.8 per cent over the same month last year, marking an all-time record.

The airport saw an average of 22,372 travellers passing through the terminal on a daily basis, handling 26,359 on the month’s busiest day. The runway bustled with no fewer than 4,624 take-offs and landings.

The growth was the result of more flights to Malta – and consequently more seats being available. However, the percentage of seats actually filled also improved to 88.1 per cent, the highest so far this year.

The airport’s top five markets – the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain – were responsible for more than 460,000 passenger movements for August

The airport’s top five markets – the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, France, and Spain – were responsible for more than 460,000 passenger movements for August.

While all of these markets experienced varying levels of growth ranging from 8.9 per cent to 31.5 per cent, the number of passengers from France (+31.5 per cent) and Germany (+22.6 per cent) registered the most significant upturn.

The French market’s growth can be partly attributed to the launch of the Bordeaux and the Toulouse routes and increased capacity on the Lyon route.

On the other hand, increased activity from Germany mainly stemmed from added flight frequency on the Frankfurt and Munich routes.

In the first eight months of the year, Malta International Airport welcomed just over 4 million passengers, which is equivalent to the airport’s full-year traffic for 2013.