MIA to focus on ‘bolstering infrastructure’ in next months to handle rise in passengers – CEO

Malta International Airport (MIA) CEO Alan Borg on Thursday (today) stated that the airport is placing its efforts in bolstering its infrastructure in order to meet the substantial growth in passenger movements.

His comments came after MIA announced record traffic and financial results in 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, the latter of which were announced on Tuesday. During 2023, the airport welcomed 7.8 million passengers, a 6.7 per cent increase in passenger traffic over 2019. Within the first three months of 2024, passenger volumes went up by 26.3 per cent from the same period in 2022. As a result, MIA had to revise its guidance for the rest of the year upwards, stating that it expects to welcome 8.45 million passengers by the end of 2024.

“With passenger numbers expected to reach the 8.45 million mark by the end of this year, the coming months will see us focus our efforts on bolstering our infrastructure with the additional capacity required to handle this unprecedented growth,” Mr Borg said following MIA’s 32nd Annual General Meeting (AGM) on Wednesday.

Last year, the airport announced a five-year investment programme totalling €250 million. The programme will deliver a number of upgrades, with the aim of allowing MIA to operate in a more efficient and safer manner, even as it handles record passenger numbers and works towards reaching environmental targets.

These investments include the ongoing construction of Apron X and the Terminal Expansion Project.

The Apron X project will see the development of an area of around 100,000 square metres to improve the airport’s aircraft parking capacity and its ability to better handle mixed-fleet operations. MIA had stated that the first three parking stands, comprising the first phase of the project, will be in operation by summer 2024. The full project is earmarked for completion by the end of 2025.

The Terminal Expansion Project, while still in its early stages, has commenced. Works include a 1,550-square metre westward extension. MIA had said that this project will create space for additional immigration desks on arrival, a reconfigured baggage reclaim area, as well as the development of a new Schengen arrivals route.

During the first three months of 2024, MIA’s capital expenditure (CAPEX) amounted to €15.9 million, largely due to the continuation of the aforementioned projects. Throughout the rest of the year, the airport expects CAPEX to be close to €60 million.

Mr Borg said that this expenditure brings MIA closer to achieving its vision for the airport. “We particularly look forward to completing the first phase of our Terminal Expansion Project, which is on track to be delivered by the end of this year,” he added.

“Our targets for 2024 are ambitious, but we stand firm in our confidence in the future of MIA and look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead,” he continued.