Malta registered the second-highest increase in commercial flights in the European Union in August, as the country continues to experience record levels of tourism.
New figures published by Eurostat on Monday show that the number of commercial flights to and from Malta increased by 12.4% in August 2026 compared with the same month last year.
Only Slovakia recorded a higher increase, at 37%, while Estonia followed Malta with an 8.3% rise. Across the EU as a whole, commercial flights increased by 2.3% year-on-year, reaching 708,980 during August.
Commercial flights in the Eurostat figures include both scheduled and non-scheduled services carrying passengers, as well as freight and mail flights operating under Instrument Flight Rules.
The sharp growth in air traffic coincides with another exceptionally busy year for Malta’s tourism industry.
Tourist figures have continued to hit new monthly records, with 489,494 inbound tourists arriving in July, 20.8% more than in July 2025. During the first seven months of the year, Malta received more than 2.62 million tourists, an increase of 18.6% year-on-year.
July was also an exceptionally busy month at Malta International Airport, where almost 1.2 million passengers passed through the terminal. The airport said increased seat capacity was accompanied by more aircraft movements, with Malta benefiting from an average of 108 daily flights during the summer period.
The continuing rise follows an already record-breaking 2025. Malta surpassed four million tourists for the first time last year, with 4.02 million inbound tourists and tourist expenditure reaching a record €3.9 billion.
Eurostat said commercial flight activity increased in 19 EU countries during August and declined in eight. The steepest decreases were registered in Austria, down 4.7%, Cyprus, down 3%, and Germany, down 2.4%.
Newsroom
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