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Malta Airport Braces for Record-Breaking Traffic During Santa Maria Weekend
August 13 2024 07:53 by PCLMedia
Malta International Airport is preparing for an exceptionally busy period as it anticipates an influx of 216,922 passengers arriving or departing during the Santa Maria public holiday weekend. The airport has forecast its busiest days to fall on the 15th, 22nd, and 29th of August, with over 33,700 passengers expected on each of these peak days.
The travel surge is expected to peak during the week of August 12th to 18th, coinciding with the traditional mid-August holiday when many travelers seize the opportunity for a summer break. This period has historically been one of the busiest for the airport, and this year is no exception.
July Passenger Traffic Hits Record High
July 2024 has set a new record for Malta International Airport, with a staggering 951,861 passengers passing through its terminals. This represents a remarkable 12.2% increase compared to July 2023, making it the busiest month in the airport's history. For the first time ever, the airport surpassed the 900,000-passenger mark in a single month.
This surge in passenger traffic was accompanied by a 14.1% growth in aircraft movements, totaling 6,054 flights during the month. The busiest day of July was Thursday, the 25th, when the airport managed 214 arriving and departing flights.
Seat capacity also saw a significant rise, with an 11.5% increase compared to the previous year. Impressively, 89.7% of all available seats were occupied, reflecting strong demand for travel as the summer season reached its peak.
Top Markets and Trends
Italy remains the top market for Malta International Airport, accounting for 25.5% of total passenger traffic. The United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Poland also continue to be key markets, demonstrating the airport's strong connectivity to major European destinations.
This robust performance highlights Malta's growing appeal as a tourist destination and underscores the importance of the island's connectivity to the broader European region. The airport's record-breaking numbers are a testament to its critical role in supporting Malta's tourism sector, which remains a vital component of the country's economy.
As the Santa Maria weekend approaches, Malta International Airport is gearing up to handle the expected surge in passenger traffic with efficiency and care, ensuring a smooth experience for all travelers.
Santa Marija In Gozo - The Celebration of a Miracle
Santa Marija, celebrated annually on 15th August, is possibly the biggest feast of the year on the Maltese Islands. During World War II, the Maltese population was saved from starvation and provided with enough supplies to sustain the islands due to a food convoy, which arrived during the week of the feast day. The arrival of the convoy is seen by many to have been a great turning point of the war in the Mediterranean, as otherwise, the Maltese would have had no alternative but to surrender.
In August 1942, Operation Pedestal was mounted from the UK, with the aim of relieving Malta. The convoy was intercepted by the Axis, who deployed no less than 20 submarines, 19 motor torpedo boats and over 850 aircraft. They faced a gruelling five-day ordeal, which saw nine out of 14 merchant ships succumbing to the attacks.
Four of the ships that survived reached Malta between the 13 and 14 of August. However, there was no sign of the tanker named Ohio, which was filled with oil, fuel and kerosene supplies, which were vital for the Maltese to survive. In fact, the tanker was singled out from the start and faced vicious attacks and was found destroyed some kilometres off of Malta. The ship was bombed and holed, a series of fires were started and her boilers blew up and engines failed.
With their hope waning, the Maltese called on their faith and prayed, desperately, to Santa Marija for a miracle.
In spite of the attacks, the tanker did not sink and on 15 August, 1942, on the feast of Santa Marija, the Ohio, towed by two destroyers, Ledbury and Penn and a minesweeper, Rye, entered the Grand Harbour. As it entered, crowds cheered, waved British and American flags and sang along to Rule Britannia. Ohio discharged her cargo and as soon as the 10,000 tonnes of fuel oil and kerosene were extracted from the destroyed hull, the Ohio sank and rested on the seabed.
Believing that a miracle had occured, the ships became known as the convoy of Santa Marija and the devotion of the population to Santa Marija and the feast of her Assumption, became even more acute.
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