Malta Airport Once Again Strongly Appeals For Removal Of Remaining Travel Restrictions
Not even a week has passed, and the Malta International Airport (MIA) has once again strongly appealed for the removal of the remaining travel restrictions in Malta.
This comes as the MIA saw a spike in travellers for the month of February, with an increase of 24% over the previous month, showing signs of demand-driven recovery.
“This double-digit growth indicates that the easing of travel restrictions, most of which had been introduced at the end of 2021, unleashed a pent-up demand for air travel,” MIA said in a statement.
“Further indicating that this increase was driven by demand rather than improved capacity, is the drop of 3 per cent in February’s seat capacity compared to January’s,” it continued.
Last February’s passenger traffic registered a sevenfold increase over the same month in 2021. However, traffic, which totalled 196,895 passenger movements, remained 45.2 per cent below 2019 levels.
Airports Council International (ACI), of which Malta International Airport is a member, and the International Air Transport Association (IATA) on Friday called for the removal of all remaining COVID-19 restrictions applying to intra-EU and Schengen area travel, including testing requirements, the need to present proof of vaccination and the need to complete a Passenger Locator Form (PLF).
“Our traffic results for February clearly show that two years into the World Health Organisation’s declaration of a pandemic, people are ready to travel again,” said MIA CEO Alan Borg.
“At the same time, our industry is facing a spate of new uncertainties and challenges, such as rising oil prices which are likely to push up fares, which are stemming from the war in Ukraine.”
“With the summer season now just weeks away, it is imperative that governments heed our industry’s appeal in relation to COVID-19 restrictions. The removal of travel restrictions would not only help boost consumer confidence but also give industry stakeholders the confidence to invest in their businesses and be optimistic for the future at this very delicate time,” said Malta International Airport CEO Alan Borg.
Do you think the remaining travel restrictions should be removed?
READ NEXT: €100 And €200 Cheques Include Robert Abela’s And Clyde Caruana’s Personal Signatures
