VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – As Carnival celebrations coincided with Valentine’s Day, Malta International Airport experienced a surge in traffic, with thousands of passengers moving through the terminal at the start of one of the year’s busiest weekends.
The airport is expecting around 121,000 passengers to travel between 13 and 17 February, as holidaymakers take advantage of the long weekend to celebrate love and Carnival festivities across Europe.
Paris continues to rank among the top destinations for couples planning a romantic escape. Flights are operating four times weekly to Orly, daily to Charles de Gaulle and twice weekly to Beauvais, offering travellers flexible options to reach the French capital.
Venice Treviso, served daily from Malta, is also drawing strong interest from those eager to experience the world-famous Venetian Carnival, renowned for its elaborate masks and centuries-old traditions.
Cologne has emerged as another popular choice, with three weekly flights connecting Malta to Germany’s largest street festival, famous for its colourful parades and vibrant celebrations.
The busy February period follows a strong start to 2026 for the airport. January saw 594,889 passenger movements recorded, underlining continued growth in traffic.
Seat capacity increased by 13.7 per cent year-on-year to 781,475 seats, while the seat load factor rose by 2.3 percentage points to reach 76.1 per cent.
The airport’s busiest day of the year so far fell on 3 January, when 35,166 passenger movements were handled across 207 scheduled and charter flights.
Italy remained the airport’s largest market in January, accounting for 109,296 passengers and an 18.4 per cent market share. Poland followed with 15.3 per cent, ahead of the United Kingdom at 15.7 per cent, Germany at 6.5 per cent and Spain at 5.7 per cent.
With departure halls already bustling and flights operating at a steady pace, airport authorities are bracing for several more days of intense activity as travellers head abroad to mark the season’s twin celebrations.
– photo Malta International Airport –
(ITALPRESS).
