MIA Link November 2023 by maltairport

MIALink November 2023 Issue No. 28

maltairport.com

THE SHAREHOLDERS’ NEWSLETTER

Welcome TO THE NOVEMBER ISSUE OF MIA LINK Dear Shareholder,

We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the shareholders who joined us at one of our two shareholders’ events held earlier this year. We were not expecting our first event to be sold out within a couple of days, but it certainly felt good to be able to treat some of you to a morning that was equal parts educational and enjoyable.

“If winter comes, can spring be far behind?” There is a lot of truth in this question, and, as early as it may seem, our Traffic Development Team is already working on securing the best flight schedule for the summer season, which starts as early as April for the aviation industry. We invite you to learn more about our traffic development efforts over the years and the team that drives them in this issue of MIA Link.

We also wish you and your loved ones a joyful festive season. If the ones you hold dear live away from our shores, we hope that you get to reunite with them at Malta International Airport just in time for Christmas or the New Year. Nothing quite like lingering embraces inside our Welcomers’ Hall after time spent apart fills us with pride that we are a company that helps bridge distances and facilitate journeys. Speaking of the festive season, we have included two special Christmas vouchers that are redeemable at our airport until the 31st of December. More vouchers can be found on the back-page of the newsletter.

Merħba GĦALL-ĦARĠA TA’ NOVEMBRU TA’ MIA LINK Għażiż Azzjonist, Hekk kif tasal il-ħarifa u l-kesħa tax-xitwa tibda tagħmel tagħha ftit wara, kulħadd jerġa’ jidħol f’rutina ġdida, inkluż aħna fl-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta. Fl-aħħar ta’ Ottubru, wara sajf tassew impenjattiv, nedejna l-iskeda tat-titjiriet għall-istaġun tax-xitwa 23/24, li tinkludi konnessjonijiet ma’ 30 suq. Jekk it-temp aktar kiesaħ u l-ewwel sinjali tal-Milied qegħdin iġegħluk toħlom b’xi tazza Glühwein sħun, inti u miexi qalb xi suq tal-Milied f’temperaturi qrib iż-żero, żgur li se tieħu gost bl-aħbar li t-titjiriet lejn l-Awstrija, il-Ġermanja, il-Belġju, ilPolonja, l-Iżvizzera u n-Netherlands se jkunu frekwenti, anke sa darbtejn kuljum matul ix-xitwa. Bi pjaċir inħabbru wkoll li bħala parti mill-iskeda tax-xitwa, se tkun qed tiżdied ilfrekwenza tat-titjiriet lejn Vjenna, Brussell u Varsavja, bliet magħrufa ħafna għall-ispirtu tal-Milied.

€5 OFF

To be used solely at the airport Food Court outlets on Level -1 by 31st December 2023.

To be used at any outlet inside the terminal building by 31st December 2023.

Cannot be used in conjunction with other vouchers or offers

“Jekk tasal ix-xitwa, ir-rebbiegħa kemm tista’ tkun ’il bogħod?” Hemm ħafna verità f’din il-mistoqsija, u anke jekk jidher li għadu kmieni, it-Tim għall-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku diġà qed jaħdem fuq l-iskeda ta’ titjiriet għall-istaġun tassajf li jmiss, li għall-industrija tal-avjazzjoni jibda f’April. Nistednukom issiru tafu aktar dwar it-Tim għall-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku tagħna u l-ħidma tiegħu matul is-snin f’din ilħarġa ta’ MIA Link. Ġejna ispirati biex niktbu dan l-artiklu minn azzjonist li wera interess li jsir jaf aktar dwar l-iżvilupp tat-traffiku fl-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta. Jekk hemm temi oħra marbuta

mal-ajruport li intom interessati ssiru tafu aktar dwarhom, inħeġġukom tagħmlu kuntatt magħna billi tibagħtu imejl fuq shareholders@maltairport.com. Aħna nagħmlu l-almu tagħna biex inwasslulkom l-informazzjoni li tkunu tlabtu f’waħda mill-ħarġiet li jmiss. Nixtiequ nieħdu din l-okkażjoni biex nirringrazzjaw lill-azzjonisti li ngħaqdu magħna f’waħda miż-żewġ attivitajiet li organizzajna għalikom matul din is-sena. Ma konniex qed nistennew li l-ewwel attività se timtela kollha fi ftit jiem biss, imma tassew ħadna gost li ltqajna magħkom għal nofstanhar edukattiv u rikreattiv fl-istess ħin. Fl-aħħar nett, minn issa, nixtiequ nawguraw lilkom u lill-għeżież tagħkom il-festi t-tajba. Jekk dawk li huma l-għeżeż għalikom jinsabu ‘l barra minn xtutna, nittamaw li tkunu tistgħu tingħaqdu mill-ġdid magħhom fl-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta fi żmien il-Milied jew l-Ewwel tasSena. Il-mumenti sbieħ fejn naraw familji u ħbieb jingħaqdu u jifirħu b’xulxin fis-sala tal-wasliet wara żmien bogħod minn xulxin, jimlewna b‘ferħ u sodisfazzjon għax ifakkruna li aħna parti minn kumpanija li tiffaċilita l-vjaġġi u tnaqqas id-distanzi li jifirduna. La diġà dħalna fl-ispirtu tal-Milied, inkludejna żewġ kupuni speċjali għal dan iż-żmien tas-sena li jistgħu jintużaw fl-ajruport tagħna sal-31 ta’ Diċembru 2023. Tista’ ssib aktar offerti u kupuni fuq in-naħa ta’ wara ta’ MIA Link.

Merħba għall-ħarġa ta’ Novembru ta’ MIA Link

If the crisper weather and the first heralds of Christmas have you dreaming of sipping steaming Glühwein in freezing temperatures while making your way through neat rows of Christmas market stalls, you will be happy to know that flights to Austria, Germany, Belgium, Poland, Switzerland and the Netherlands will operate in winter, sometimes as frequently as twice daily. We are also pleased to share that weekly flight frequencies on the Vienna, Brussels and Warsaw routes, all of which are sought after for their Christmas spirit, have increased as part of the current flight schedule.

We were prompted to write this article by a shareholder who expressed interest in learning more about traffic development at Malta International Airport. If there are any other airportrelated topics you are interested in, do let us know by sending an email to shareholders@maltairport.com, and we will do our best to entertain your request in an upcoming issue.

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

As autumn rolls around with winter cold on its heels and everyone starts easing into a new routine, so do we at Malta International Airport. At the end of October, after an exceptionally good summer, we launched our flight schedule for the winter 23/24 season, which features connections with 30 markets.

CEO’S Message

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

CEO’S Message

This is surely not a one-man job, but a show of teamwork, interdepartmental coordination, and many employees repeatedly going the extra mile to make things work. Given that more projects are in the pipeline for 2024 and beyond, we have allocated more resources to project management to be able to meet our deadlines and keep within budgets whilst keeping inconveniences for our guests to a minimum.

If you travel through our airport in the coming months, you may still experience some minor nuisances in the form of hoarding and construction noise. However, we like to think of these inconveniences as temporary growing pains that will eventually allow us to unveil an improved passenger experience, which is on par with what the best European airports offer. But how is this helping us honour our environmental pledges? One of the main pillars of the aforementioned investment plan is sustainability, with lighting replacements, heating and ventilation upgrades, and the installation of more photovoltaic panels all falling under this investment category.

Perhaps the replacement of heating, ventilation and air conditioning units (HVAC), which is the next big energy-related investment for our airport, does not sound as impressive as the development of 100,000 square metres to accommodate an additional apron and new ground handling facilities. But the HVAC project is just as valid and necessary as Apron X, particularly given that it will help us save around two million kilowatt-hours of energy annually as we continue to work towards becoming net zero.

Il-programm ta’ investiment tagħna għal ħames snin huwa għodda importanti sabiex inkunu nistgħu nkomplu nikbru filwaqt li nċekknu l-impronta ambjentali tagħna. Peremezz ta’ dan il-programm, ser naraw investiment b’saħħtu fliżvilupp u ż-żamma tat-terminal u l-mitjar tagħna, biex b’hekk niżguraw li nkunu nistgħu nkomplu noffru esperjenza pjaċevoli u livelli għoljin ta’ sigurtà lil numru dejjem qed jiżdied ta’ passiġġieri.

If you are interested in learning more about our environmental achievements, I invite you to browse through our eighth sustainability report, which was published on our website in September 2023. While we are proud of this report and its evolution over the past years into a more reader-friendly and transparent publication, together with our auditors, we are currently exploring how we can improve our reporting practices and eventually align ourselves with the requirements of the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Hekk kif ix-xogħlijiet fuq Apron X, l-ewwel fażi ta’ liema proġett hija skedata li titlesta sas-sajf tas-sena d-dieħla, komplew ġmielhom, tajna bidu wkoll għall-Proġett ta’ Espansjoni tat-Terminal kif ukoll għal xogħlijiet ta’ riabilitazzjoni fuq ir-runway sekondarja tagħna fl-aħħar kwart tal-2023. Kif wieħed forsi jista’ jimmaġina, dawn huma proġetti enormi li qegħdin jiġu eżegwiti waqt li l-ajruport tagħna għadu jopera. Għaldaqstant, il-koordinazzjoni u l-ippjanar li huma meħtieġa sabiex kollox jimxi ħarir huma aspetti kritiċi daqs ix-xogħol innifsu.

I cannot end this message without mentioning our financial performance for the first nine months of the year, which is very important in the achievement of a balanced people, planet and profit equation. Looking at our financial key performance indicators for the first three quarters of 2023, more information on which is presented in this issue of MIA Link, gives me confidence that we will end the year with some of our best results yet.

Dan kollu żgur li ma jistax isir minn persuna waħda, iżda jirrikejdi ħidma interdipartimentali kif ukoll ħafna impjegati li kontinwament imorru lil hinn minn dak li hu mitlub minnhom sabiex ix-xogħol dejjem jibqa’ għaddej. Minħabba li fl-erba’ snin li ġejjin ser inkunu qegħdin inniedu aktar proġetti, aktar kmieni din is-sena ħassejna l-bżonn li nallokaw aktar riżorsi għall-ġestjoni ta’ dawn il-proġetti sabiex inkunu nistgħu nlestu x-xogħlijiet fi ħdan l-iskadenzi stabbiliti u bil-baġits

allokati, filwaqt li l-inkonvenjent għall-passiġġieri tagħna jibqa’ wieħed kemm jista’ jkun minimu. Dan ma jfissirx li fix-xhur li ġejjin mhux ser ikun hemm affarijiet żgħar, bħal ħsejjes ta’ kostruzzjoni, li jistgħu jdejqu xi ftit lil dak li jkun. Iżda affarijiet bħal dawn nippruvaw narawhom bħala inkonvenjent temporanju li eventwalment ser jippermettilna niżvelaw esperjenza mtejba għall-passiġġieri tagħna li tħabbatha ma’ dik offruta fl-aqwa ajruporti fl-Ewropa. Iżda f’dan kollu, fejn jidħlu s-sostenibbiltà u l-ambjent? Wieħed mill-pilastri tal-programm ta’ investiment li ssemma aktar kmieni huwa proprjament is-sostenibbiltà, bl-installazzjoni ta’ dawl aktar effiċjenti, titjib fis-sistemi ta’ tisħin u ventilazzjoni u l-installazzjoni ta’ aktar pannelli fotovoltajċi kollha jaqgħu f’din il-kategorija ta’ investiment. Forsi t-tibdil tas-sistemi tagħna ta’ tisħin, ventilazzjoni u arja kkundizzjonata (HVAC) mhuwiex xi proġett li jinstema’ impressjonanti daqs l-iżvilupp ta’ madwar 100,000 metru kwadru sabiex jiġu akkomodati apron addizzjonali u faċilitajiet ta’ ground handling ġodda. Madankollu, ilproġett tal-HVAC huwa validu u importanti daqs Apron X, speċjalment meta tqis li permezz tiegħu ser niffrankaw maż-2 miljun kilowatt-hour ta’ enerġija kull sena u nkomplu noqorbu lejn l-għan tagħna li nilħqu n-newtralità karbonika. Jekk tixtieq taqra aktar dwar dak li qed nagħmlu firrigward tal-ambjent, nistiednek tagħti ħarsa lejn it-tmien rapport dwar is-sostenibbiltà, li aħna ppubblikajna fuq issit elettroniku tagħna f’Settembru 2023. Filwaqt li ninsabu kburin b’dan ir-rapport u l-evoluzzjoni tiegħu f’pubblikazzjoni aktar trasparenti u faċli biex tiftiehem mill-qarrej, flimkien mal-awdituri tagħna, għadna kemm tajna bidu għal eżerċizzju sabiex inkomplu ntejbu l-prattiki ta’ rappurtar tagħna u eventwalment nallinjaw ruħna mad-Direttiva dwar ir-Rappurtar Korporattiv dwar is-Sostenibbilità (CSRD). Ma nistax intemm dan il-messaġġ mingħajr ma nsemmi l-prestazzjoni finanzjarja tagħna għall-ewwel disa’ xhur tas-sena. Meta nħares lejn l-indikaturi tal-prestazzjoni finanzjarja sa Settembru 2023, li tistgħu taqraw aktar dwarhom fir-rapport finanzjarju li ħejjejna f’dil-ħarġa ta’ MIA Link, nimtela bil-kunfidenza li din is-sena ser intemmuha b’uħud mill-aqwa riżultati li qatt ksibna sa issa.

Il-Messaġġ tal-Kap Eżekuttiv

As works on the construction of Apron X, the first phase of which is targeted for completion in summer 2024, continue apace, we also set the ball rolling on the long-awaited Terminal Expansion Project and commenced rehabilitation works on our secondary runway in the last quarter of 2023. As one can imagine, the sheer scale of these projects together with their execution while our airport remains operational require impeccable management and planning.

Is-sena 2023 sa issa kienet waħda eċċezzjonali minn diversi aspetti. L-ewwel aspett li jiġini f’moħħi huwa t-traffiku talpassiġġieri li, bejn Jannar u Settembru, qabeż il-livelli rekord li konna lħaqna fl-2019 kull xahar. Waqt li dawn ir-riżultati huma indikaturi tas-suċċess tagħna bħala kumpanija, dejjem qegħdin insiru aktar konxji mir-responsabbiltà tagħna li naraw li dawn in-numri huma sostenibbli u li kwalunkwe impatt negattiv li jirriżulta mill-attivitajiet li aħna ngħinu sabiex niffaċilitaw jiġi mnaqqas. Dawn mhumiex responsabbiltajiet li aħna nistgħu nġorru waħedna iżda flimkien ma’ atturi oħrajn fl-industrija tagħna u s-sħab tagħna, permezz ta’ investimenti għall-medda twila ta’ żmien u ekoloġiċi u anki sforzi sabiex il-gżejjer tagħna jibqgħu aċċessibbli bl-ajru matul is-sena kollha.

Our five-year investment programme is a crucial tool in unlocking our potential for further growth while managing our impact on the planet. Through this programme, we are injecting millions into the development and upkeep of our terminal and the airfield to ensure that we continue to provide a safe and enjoyable experience for an increasing number of passengers.

tal-Kap Eżekuttiv

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

The year 2023 has been exceptional on many fronts. What springs to mind first are our passenger numbers, which exceeded 2019 levels each month between January and September. While solid traffic results are one of the yardsticks of our success as a company, we are becoming increasingly aware of our responsibility to ensure that these numbers are sustainable and that any negative impacts stemming from the activity we help facilitate are reduced. These are not responsibilities we can shoulder on our own but together with other industry players and our stakeholders through longterm and green investments, as well as traffic development efforts that put our islands on the map all year round.

IL-MESSAĠĠ

The losses suffered in 2022 were not the first time bees bore the brunt of some of the effects of globalisation. In the eighties, the introduction of the Varroa mite on the Maltese Islands had eventually led to the loss of a staggering 90 per cent of the local beehive colonies.

Malta’s very own honeybee

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Keeping the buzz alive at Malta International Airport

The Apis mellifera ruttneri, or Malta’s very own endemic honeybee, is one of the bee subspecies that reside at the airport apiaries. It is thought that this bee was trapped on the islands eons ago when the Mediterranean Sea was formed and, having adapted well to the local conditions, has survived for millennia.

However, the importation of new bee colonies from different countries over the years has affected the DNA pool and led to the rise of various hybrids in the process, which can pose a threat to the unique genetic identity of the Apis mellifera ruttneri. For this reason, Golden Island are involved in controlled breeding programmes that are aimed towards helping the Maltese bee become the predominant subspecies once again.

The summer months that follow are generally quieter due to the unforgiving weather conditions that often characterise the season and the absence of wild thyme around the airport. However, the airport bees still manage to stay somewhat active by foraging on the caper and prickly pear flowers that are in bloom at the onset of the season. After the summer lull, autumn brings renewed vigour as the eucalyptus and carob trees around the airport start to bloom, and the bees make honey while the sun still shines. Some of this honey provides the sustenance and warmth bees need during the cold and rainy months from December until February, when the bees inhabit the hives for longer periods.

Testing honey to determine air quality Honey-making is quite a labour and resource-intensive process. The production of a kilo of honey requires some four million flower visits, with one bee making an average of a twelfth of a teaspoon of honey in its short six-week lifetime. The trouble bees go through to produce honey is probably the last thing on our minds when we reach out for the sweet, viscous liquid to soothe our sore throats and quell our coughs. Having used honey as a natural remedy multiple times, most of us are aware of its prized antibacterial and antiinflammatory properties. However, a much lesser-known fact about honey is that it can be used as an indicator of air quality.

The start of a bee-friendly project In 2016, Malta International Airport decided to dedicate a parcel of land along the airport perimeter, on the side of Ħal Safi, to the setting up of an apiary in collaboration with local beekeepers Golden Island. Airports and bees may initially appear to be an unlikely match, but if you think about the stretches of unused land that generally surround air terminals coupled with the recent decline in bee-friendly habitats, such collaborations suddenly make more sense. Malta International Airport was by no means a trailblazer in deciding to host the first beehives some eight years ago.

Back then, a number of airports had already embraced this practice as part of their environmental efforts, with even more airports across the globe choosing to put some of their idle land to good use by rehabilitating it into beefriendly habitats along the years.

And then there were two (apiaries) Having introduced the second apiary on the Mqabba side of the airfield in 2021, today, an area of approximately 150 square metres at Malta International Airport is dedicated to beehives. While the Ħal Safi apiary is currently populated by six bee colonies, the Mqabba apiary is slightly smaller with a population of four colonies.

Malta International Airport has been sending samples of the honey produced on the airport campus to an accredited laboratory in Germany practically since the inception of the project. Here, the samples are tested for the presence of pollutants that can result from the combustion of aviation-related fuels. These tests have always returned satisfactory results, which show that the presence of pollutants, mainly heavy metals and polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, is well within the levels permitted by the European Union. Honey samples from the airport are also benchmarked with samples harvested from bees in Baħrija, which is a more rural locality, with the results showing that the air quality is comparable.

Keeping the buzz alive at Malta International Airport

Golden Island went on to explain that the local presence of the predatory Oriental hornet is the indirect result of climate change, which has led to the creation of optimal weather conditions for it to thrive, and globalisation, which has facilitated the proliferation of this insect.

Locally, honey is collected in three main harvests: spring, summer and autumn, with each one having a distinctive taste arising from the different plants the bees pollinate. The most abundant harvest at the airport apiaries is the spring harvest: the generous yields collected around April and May result from the open fields surrounding the runway areas, which support a unique and largely undisturbed ecosystem.

“No other species embodies the circle of life quite like the Apidae. If they were to disappear one day, the world would never recover from their loss.” These lines from Elif Shafak’s The Island of Missing Trees recently got the MIA Link team thinking about the importance of honeybees to humanity’s very survival given their central role in food security, prompting us to put pen to paper, with some help from local beekeepers Golden Island, about a collaboration we are particularly proud of at Malta International Airport.

Honey harvests

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Keeping the buzz alive at Malta International Airport

MIA Link learnt from Golden Island that just over a year ago the two apiaries were more populated. Just like many other apiaries across the Maltese Islands, the airport apiaries were not spared of last year’s onslaught of attacks by Oriental hornets, which wiped out 21 colonies at the Mqabba apiary alone in just a matter of days. These attacks are estimated to have decimated around 70 per cent of Malta’s total bee colonies.

Minn sit wieħed għal tnejn... Fl-2021, ingħatat biċċa art oħra għal dan il-għan, din id-darba fuq in-naħa tal-Imqabba tal-ajrudrom, biex b’kollox l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta issa għandu 150 metru kwadru ta’ art iddedikata għat-trobbija tannaħal. Filwaqt li llum fil-miġbħa fuq in-naħa ta’ Ħal Safi nsibu sitt kolonji tan-naħal, fil-miġbħa fuq in-naħa talImqabba nsibu erba’ kolonji. Golden Island spjegaw ma’ MIA Link li sa ftit aktar minn sena ilu, iż-żewġ imġiebaħ kellhom popolazzjoni akbar ta’ naħal. Bħal ħafna mġiebaħ oħra madwar il-Gżejjer Maltin, dawk tal-ajruport ukoll sfaw vittma tal-invażjoni talbagħal taż-żunżan (Oriental hornets) fl-2022. Fi ftit jiem biss, il-bagħal taż-żunżan qered xejn inqas minn 21 kolonja mill-miġbħa tan-naħa tal-Imqabba. Fuq skala akbar, huwa stmat li l-bagħal taż-żunżan kien responsabbli għall-qerda ta’ 70% tal-kolonji tan-naħal f’Malta. In-naħħala komplew jispjegaw li l-preżenza f’Malta talbagħal taż-żunżan hija riżultat indirett tat-tibdil fil-klima, li ħoloq kundizzjonijiet tat-temp perfetti biex tikber ilpopolazzjoni ta’ dan l-insett, u anke tal-globalizzazzjoni li għenet fit-tixrid tiegħu. Iżda din ma kinitx l-ewwel darba li n-naħal sfaw vittma tal-globalizzazzjoni. Fit-tmeninijiet, l-introduzzjoni f’Malta ta’ parassita, magħrufa bħala Varroa mite, ikkawżat ilqerda ta’ xejn inqas minn 90% tal-kolonji tan-naħal lokali.

l-istaġun u anke n-nuqqas ta’ sagħtar selvaġġ madwar l-ajruport. Madanakollu, in-naħal tal-ajruport xorta waħda jirnexxilhom jibqgħu kemxejn attivi billi jdawru l-attenzjoni tagħhom fuq il-fjuri tal-pjanta tal-kappar u tal-bajtar li jwarrdu fil-bidu ta’ dan l-istaġun. Wara n-nixfa tas-sajf, il-ħarifa ġġib magħha żieda flattività hekk kif in-naħal jaħtfu l-okkażjoni malli l-ewkaliptus u s-siġar tal-ħarrub jibdew jagħtu l-frott tagħhom. Ftit millgħasel jipprovdi wkoll enerġija u sustanzi lin-naħal fix-xhur kiesħa u mxarrba ta’ bejn Diċembru u Frar, hekk kif f’dan ilperjodu, in-naħal jibqgħu għal ħin itwal fil-bejta tagħhom.

Il-produzzjoni tal-għasel Il-produzzjoni tal-għasel huwa proċess pjuttost impenjattiv u li jirrikjedi ħafna riżorsi. Il-produzzjoni ta’ kilogramma għasel ikollha bżonn xejn inqas minn erba’ miljun żjara lejn il-fjuri, b’naħla waħda tipproduċi biss ponta ta’ kuċċarina għasel fil-ħajja qasira tagħha ta’ sitt ġimgħat. Żgur li meta nkunu qegħdin inaħlltu xi kuċċarina għasel mal-misħun għax inkunu ma nifilħux, l-aħħar ħaġa li tiġina f’moħħna huwa dak li tgħaddi minnu naħla biex tipproduċi l-għasel. Tant kemm huwa komuni li l-għasel nużawh bħala rimedju naturali, li kważi lkoll aħna konxji tal-propjetajiet antibatteriċi u antiinfjammatorji tiegħu. Iżda, fatt ħafna inqas magħruf huwa li l-għasel jista’ jintuża wkoll bħala indikatur tal-kwalità tal-arja.

Il-bidu tar-relazzjoni bejn l-ajruport u n-naħal Fl-2016, l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta ddeċieda li jiddedika biċċa art mad-dawra tal-ajruport, fuq in-naħa ta’ Ħal Safi, għat-trobbija tannaħal minn Golden Island. Wieħed bir-raġun forsi jistaqsi x’għandhom x’jaqsmu flimkien l-ajruporti u n-naħal. Imma meta tqis li l-ajruporti ħafna drabi huma mdawra b’art li ma tintużax u anke meta tikkunsidra t-tnaqqis drastiku fl-abitat naturali tan-naħal, kollaborazzjonijiet simili jagħmlu ħafna sens. L-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta ma kienx pijunier meta xi tmien snin ilu ddeċieda li jagħti biċċa art għat-trobbija tan-naħal u l-produzzjoni tal-għasel, minħabba li diversi ajruporti kienu diġà ħadu din l-inizjattiva bħala parti mill-isforzi ambjentali tagħhom. U kull ma jmur, aktar ajruporti qegħdin jagħżlu li jiddedikaw art li ma tintużax għat-trobbija tan-naħal.

L-istaġuni u l-għasel Lokalment, l-għasel jinġabar tliet darbiet f’sena, jiġifieri fir-rebbiegħa, fis-sajf u fil-ħarifa, bit-togħma tiegħu tvarja minn staġun għall-ieħor għas-sempliċi raġuni li n-naħal iżuru pjanti differenti li jikbru skont l-istaġun. L-aktar staġun produttiv fl-ajruport huwa dak tarrebbiegħa, jiġifieri bejn April u Mejju, u dan bis-saħħa ta’ spazji miftuħa li jdawru ż-żewġ runways u li jinkludu ekosistema unika u mhux minsusa. Ix-xhur tas-sajf li jsegwu ġeneralment ikunu ħafna inqas produttivi, u dan minħabba s-sħana qalila li tikkaratterizza

L-impenn tal-Ajruport fit-tkabbir tal-popolazzjoni tan-naħal

“L-ebda speċi oħra ma tinkorpora fiha ċ-ċiklu tal-ħajja daqs l-Apidae. Kieku dawn kellhom xi darba jisparixxu, iddinja ma tirkupra qatt minn din it-telfa.” Dawn il-kelmiet, miktuba minn Elif Shafak f’The Island of Missing Trees, ġiegħlu littim ta’ MIA Link jirrifletti dwar l-importanza tan-naħal għall-umanità, meta tqis l-irwol ċentrali li dawn għandhom f’dak li għandu x’jaqsam mas-sigurtà tal-ikel. Kien għalhekk li poġġejna bilqiegħda biex, bl-għajnuna tan-naħħala Golden Island, inwasslulkom ftit informazzjoni dwar kollaborazzjoni li l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta tant huwa kburi biha.

Madanakollu, l-importazzjoni ta’ kolonji ġodda ta’ naħal minn pajjiżi differenti tul is-snin u t-taħlit ta’ dawn ilkolonji man-naħla Maltija wasslu biex jinħolqu speċi ibridi oħra li jistgħu jkunu ta’ theddida għall-identità ġenetika unika tal-Apis mellifera ruttneri. Fil-fatt, Golden Island huma parteċipi fi programmi ta’ tnissil ikkontrollat tan-naħal bil-għan li n-naħla Maltija terġa’ ssir issubspeċi predominanti.

L-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta ilu prattikament millbidu nett ta’ dan il-proġett jibgħat kampjuni ta’ għasel miġbur mill-ajruport f’laboratorju akkreditat fil-Ġermanja. Hawn, dawn il-kampjuni jiġu eżaminati għall-preżenza ta’ inkwinanti (pollutants) li jistgħu jirriżultaw mill-fjuwils li jintużaw fl-avjazzjoni. Ir-riżultati minn dawn il-kampjuni dejjem kienu sodisfaċenti, minħabba li juru li l-preżenza fl-ajra ta’ metalli tqal u idrokarburi aromatiċi polinukleari hija fil-livelli permessi mill-Unjoni Ewropea. Kampjuni talgħasel mill-ajruport jiġu wkoll imqabbla ma’ kampjuni oħra li jinġabru minn naħal li jitrabbew fil-Baħrija, lokalità ħafna aktar rurali, bir-riżultati juru li l-kwalità tal-arja bejn iż-żewġ żoni hija kumparabbli.

L-impenn tal-Ajruport fit-tkabbir tal-popolazzjoni tan-naħal

L-Apis mellifera ruttneri, jew aħjar in-naħla endemika Maltija, hija waħda mis-subspeċi ta’ naħal li jgħixu fil-bejtiet li wieħed isib fl-ajruport. Jingħad li din innaħla inqabdet Malta miljuni ta’ snin ilu meta fforma l-Baħar Mediterran u tul iż-żmien adattat sew għallkundizzjonijiet lokali.

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

L-impenn tal-Ajruport fit-tkabbir tal-popolazzjoni tan-naħal

Kont taf li Malta għandha n-naħla tagħha?

Greece shoots up to seventh place

Between January and September, 5.9 million passengers passed through Malta International Airport, marking an increase of six per cent over the bumper numbers registered during the same stretch in 2019.

For the first time, traffic for each peak summer month surpassed the 800,000 passenger mark. Quite unsurprisingly, traffic peaked in August, a month that has become synonymous with work shutdowns and trips abroad, at 878,462 passenger movements. At 91.4 per cent, the SLF for August 2023 was the highest ever to be registered by Malta International Airport.

Widening the focus to look at the top 10 markets, the most noticeable change in comparison with 2019 was the Greek market’s increase in popularity. While this market ranked sixteenth before the pandemic, it moved up to seventh place during the peak summer months in 2023 with 72,240 passenger movements.

Italy tops summer travellers’ preferences

Forty-three per cent of this total was handled by the airport during the peak summer months between July and September. While the number of seats on flights to and

Italy was indisputably the most popular market during the peak summer months, outperforming the United Kingdom, the second most popular market, by more than 230,000 passenger movements. Germany and France ranked third

Greece’s improved performance was largely the result of improved connectivity between Malta International Airport and Thessaloniki, Athens and Chania. However, the market’s increased popularity could also be a reflection of the

This article was written when only passenger numbers until September 2023 were available.

379,335 365,995

379,073 359,455

487, 117 477,533

708,388 653,258

726,299 674,101

754,258 721,565

848,716 798,453

878,462 823,653

INCREASE OF

812,176 762,361

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

5,973,824

5,636,374

JAN-SEP 2019

JAN-SEP 2023

JAN 2019

JAN 2023

FEB 2019

FEB 2023

MAR 2019

MAR 2023

APR 2019

APR 2023

MAY 2019

MAY 2023

JUN 2019

JUN 2023

JUL 2019

JUL 2023

AUG 2019

AUG 2023

SEP 2019

SEP 2023

Traffic through Malta International Airport peaks in August at 878,462 passenger movements

Having launched its winter flight schedule 23/24 at the end of October, Malta International Airport is now settling into the quieter winter months. The United Kingdom and Germany are both benefitting from improved connectivity during this period, including increased flight frequencies to Gatwick, Birmingham and Edinburgh together with the extension of the Memmingen route into winter. Despite the winter months traditionally being slower than summer, demand is still expected to remain strong in November and December, possibly bolstered by prospective travellers choosing off-peak travel in response to ongoing financial challenges. Considering the airport’s solid results so far together with the fact that demand is not expected to wane, Malta International Airport upgraded its traffic forecast for 2023 from 7.2 to 7.8 million passengers in November.

Traffic during peak summer Traffic through Malta International Airport peaks in August at 878,462 passenger movements

from Malta during these three months increased by 3.2 per cent over the reference year 2019, the seat load factor (SLF) stood at 89.9 per cent, reflecting strong demand.

The United Kingdom’s and Germany’s slow recovery is a phenomenon that has been observed by other European airports, yet Malta International Airport continues to work towards securing better connectivity with these two popular markets to close any gaps that were created during the pandemic.

The quieter winter months

Traffic through Malta International Airport during the first nine months of 2023 showed that demand for travel to and from the Maltese Islands remained very strong. High seat load factors, which peaked in August, were another indicator that demand showed no signs of slowing. MIA Link takes a closer look at how traffic developed during the year, particularly in peak summer.

Out of the top five markets, Italy and France registered robust growth of 42.6 per cent and 45.6 per cent compared to 2019. On the other hand, the other top three markets all fared worse than 2019, with the United Kingdom and Germany lagging significantly and Spain seeing a minimal drop of 0.2 per cent.

European Travel Commission’s findings in Monitoring Travel Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel: Wave 16 that Europeans’ preferred leisure trips for the summer and autumn 2023 were sun and beach holidays, closely followed by culture and heritage getaways.

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Traffic through Malta International Airport peaks in August at 878,462 passenger movements

and fourth respectively, with a difference of just over 8,000 passenger movements between them, followed by Spain in fifth place.

It-tielet kwart tas-sena jġib miegħu jiem impenjattivi ferm Bejn Jannar u Settembru, 5.9 miljun passiġġier għaddew mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta li fisser żieda ta’ sitta fil-mija fuq ir-riżultati miksuba fl-istess xhur tassena rekord 2019. Tlieta u erbgħin fil-mija ta’ dawn il-passiġġieri għaddew mill-ajruport matul l-aktar xhur impenjattivi tas-sajf, jiġifieri bejn Lulju u Settembru. Filwaqt li matul dawn it-tliet

L-irkupru kajman tar-Renju Unit u l-Ġermanja huwa fenomenu li kien osservat ukoll minn ajruporti Ewropej oħra. Minkejja dan, l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta ser jibqa’ jaħdem biex jassigura konnettività aħjar ma’ dawn iż-żewġ destinazzjonijiet popolari.

Għall-ewwel darba, f’kull wieħed minn dawn it-tliet xhur, l-ajruport laqa’ aktar minn 800,000 passiġġier. Kif mistenni, il-movimenti tal-passiġġieri laħqu l-ogħla livell tagħhom f’Awwissu, xahar li huwa sinonimu mal-btajjel u s-safar. F’Awwissu biss, għaddew mill-Ajruport 878,462 passiġġier. Barra minn hekk, is-SLF f’Awwissu 2023, li laħħaq il-91.4 fil-mija, kien l-ogħla wieħed li qatt irreġistra l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta.

Il-Greċja tispara ‘l fuq għas-seba’ post

L-Italja l-akbar suq għall-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta

Din iż-żieda fit-traffiku tal-passiġġieri minn u lejn ilGreċja kienet bla dubju riżultat ta’ konnettività aħjar bejn l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta u l-ajruporti ta’ Tessaloniki, Ateni u Chania. Apparti minn hekk, iż-żieda fil-popolarità ta’ din id-destinazzjoni tista’ tkun riflessjoni

L-Italja kienet bla dubju ta’ xejn l-aktar suq importanti matul ix-xhur tas-sajf tant li qabżet lir-Renju Unit (it-tieni l-aktar suq popolari) b’aktar minn 230,000 passiġġier. Il-

Minn ħarsa usa’ lejn l-aqwa għaxart iswieq għall-ajruport, l-aktar bidla evidenti, meta wieħed jikkumpara mal-2019, kienet iż-żieda fil-popolarità tas-suq Grieg. Filwaqt li qabel faqqgħet il-pandemija, il-Greċja kienet is-16 l-aktar suq popolari, fix-xhur tas-sajf 2023 din sparat ‘il fuq għasseba’ l-aktar destinazzjoni popolari, bil-movimenti talpassiġġieri jammontaw għal 72,240.

Ix-xhur aktar kwieti tax-xitwa Wara li nieda l-iskeda tax-xitwa 23/24 fl-aħħar ta’ Ottubru, l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta issa beda dieħel fixxhur aktar kwieti tax-xitwa. Ir-Renju Unit u l-Ġermanja qed jibbenefikaw minn konnettività aqwa matul dan il-perjodu, fosthom titjiriet aktar frekwenti lejn Gatwick, Birmingham u Edinburgh u anke l-estensjoni tar-rotta ta’ Memmingem fix-xhur tax-xitwa. Minkejja li x-xhur tax-xitwa dejjem ikunu aktar kwieti minn dawk tas-sajf, id-domanda għall-ivvjaġġar matul Novembru u Diċembru hija mistennija li tibqa’ b’saħħitha. Dan anki minħabba li bosta vjaġġaturi prospettivi qegħdin jadattaw għal ċerti sfidi finanzjarji billi jagħżlu li jsiefru f’perjodi anqas popolari. Wara li kkunsidra l-prestazzjoni tat-traffiku fl-ewwel xhur tas-sena u l-fatt li d-domanda mhix mistennija tbatti din is-sena, f’Novembru l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta rreveda t-tbassir tiegħu tattraffiku għall-2023 minn 7.2 miljun għal 7.8 miljun.

Dan l-artiklu nkiteb meta kienu disponibbli biss figuri tat-traffiku sa Settembru 2023.

It-traffiku tal-passiġġieri jilħaq l-ogħla livell f’Awwissu meta jgħaddu mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta 878,462 passiġġier

xhur in-numru ta’ postijiet disponibbli fuq it-titjiriet żdied bi 3.2 fil-mija fuq is-sena ta’ referenza 2019, is-seat load factor (SLF) kien fil-livell għoli ta’ 89.9 fil-mija, prova ċara ta’ domanda tassew b’saħħitha.

Minn fost il-ħames l-aktar swieq importanti, l-Italja u Franza raw tkabbir b’saħħtu ta’ 42.6 fil-mija u 45.6 fil-mija fuq il-movimenti tal-passiġġieri rreġistrati fl-2019. Millbanda l-oħra, it-tlett iswieq l-oħra kollha raw inqas traffiku minn dak irreġistrat fl-2019, bir-Renju Unit u l-Ġermanja jaqgħu lura mhux ħażin u Spanja tara tnaqqis marġinali ta’ 0.2 fil-mija.

ta’ dak li l-Kummissjoni Ewropea għall-Ivjaġġar sabet flistħarriġ tagħha Monitoring Travel Sentiment for Domestic and Intra-European Travel: Wave 16, jiġifieri li l-Ewropej, għas-sajf u l-ħarifa 2023, preferew jagħżlu destinazzjonijiet magħrufa għax-xemx u l-baħar biex fihom iqattgħu l-btajjel tagħhom, segwiti minn postijiet oħra popolari għall-kultura u l-patrimonju.

In-numru ta’ passiġġieri li għaddew mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta fl-ewwel disa’ xhur tas-sena wera li d-domnda għall-ivvjaġġar bl-ajru minn u lejn Malta baqgħet b’saħħitha. Seat load factors għoljin, li laħqu l-ogħla livell f’Awwissu, ukoll irriflettew domanda li ma battietx. MIA Link tagħti ħarsa lejn ir-riżultati tat-traffiku tal-ajruport fl-ewwel disa’ xhur, partikolarment fit-tliet xhur l-aktar impenjattivi tas-sajf.

Ġermanja u Franza kienu t-tielet u r-raba’ l-aktar swieq popolari, b’differenza ta’ madwar 8,000 passiġġier bejniethom, segwiti minn Spanja fil-ħames post.

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

It-traffiku tal-passiġġieri jilħaq l-ogħla livell f’Awwissu meta jgħaddu mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta 878,462 passiġġier | MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

It-traffiku tal-passiġġieri jilħaq l-ogħla livell f’Awwissu meta jgħaddu mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta 878,462 passiġġier

What if I do not have access to a computer?

X’inhu l-ewwel pass?

If you need to update your details but do not have access to these forms, you can call our shareholders’ direct line +365 2369 6600 and ask a member of the Shareholder Relations Team to mail you a copy of the relevant form.

Where do I submit the form?

Jekk tbiddel l-indirizz tad-dar jew il-bank fejn jitħallas iddividend, għandek tinfurmana billi timla formola. Il-formoli taċ-‘change of address’ u ċ-‘change of bank account’ it-tnejn jistgħu jitniżżlu minn www.maltairport.com missezzjoni tas-sit ‘corporate’.

Before submitting the form, please ensure that none of the required details are missing or incorrect. It is important to note that forms that are received without the signature and the rubber stamp of a witness are not accepted.

X’nista’ nagħmel jekk ma għandix aċċess għal kompjuter?

Ladarba l-formola tkun lesta, tista’:

Jekk għandek bżonn taġġorna xi dettalji iżda ma għandekx aċċess għal kompjuter, tista’ ċċempel fuq +365 2369 6600 u tistaqsi lil membru tat-Tim għarRelazzjonijiet mal-Azzjonisti tagħna sabiex tintbagħatlek kopja tal-formola li jkollok bżonn bil-posta.

The witness must be a member of the legal, notarial or accountancy professions, a manager/ director at an MFSA-licensed authority, such as the branch manager of your bank, or a medical doctor. A witness signature is important as it verifies the authenticity of a document and the identity of the shareholder signing the document.

Your questions answered: How do I inform Malta International Airport of a change in my details?

Qabel tibgħat il-formola, jekk jogħġbok ara li provdejt iddettalji kollha u li l-informazzjoni kollha hija korretta. Huwa importanti tkun taf li l-formoli li jaslu għandna mingħajr ilfirma u t-timbru ta’ xhud ma jiġux aċċettati. Ix-xhud għandu jkun membru tal-professjonijiet legali, notarili jew tal-kontabilità, maniġer/direttur ta’ awtorità lliċenzjata mill-MFSA, bħall-maniġer tal-fergħa tal-bank li tuża, jew tabib. Firma ta’ xhud hija importanti għax tivverifika l-awtentiċità u l-identità tal-azzjonist li jkun iffirma d-dokument.

Malta Stock Exchange plc Garrison Chapel, Castille Place Valletta, VLT 1063 Malta

Once the form has been completed, you can: a)

send a scanned copy of the form to shareholders@maltairport.com, making sure to send the original document to the Malta Stock Exchange by post at the address below in conformity with the institution’s procedures. Malta Stock Exchange plc Garrison Chapel, Castille Place Valletta, VLT 1063 Malta OR

send a scanned copy of the form to shareholders@maltairport.com, as well as the original document to Malta International Airport’s Finance Department by post at the address below. If you opt for this option, we will ensure that the original document reaches the Malta Stock Exchange in conformity with the institution’s procedures. Finance Department, Level 2, Malta International Airport plc. Luqa, LQA 4000 Malta

Do you have a question that you would like us to answer? Get in touch on shareholders@maltairport.com

tibgħat kopja skennjata tal-formola fuq shareholders@ maltairport.com kif ukoll id-dokument oriġinali lillBorża ta’ Malta fl-indirizz ta’ hawn taħt, hekk kif meħtieġ skont il-proċeduri ta’ din l-istituzzjoni.

JEW b)

tibgħat kopja skennjata tal-formola fuq shareholders@ maltairport.com flimkien mad-dokument oriġinali lidDipartiment tal-Finanzi tal-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta fl-indirizz muri hawn taħt. Jekk tagħżel li tagħmel hekk, aħna niżguraw li d-dokument oriġinali jasal għand il-Borża ta’ Malta skont kif inhu mitlub millproċeduri ta’ din l-istituzzjoni. Finance Department, Level 2, Malta International Airport plc. Luqa, LQA 4000 Malta

Għandek xi mistoqsija li tixtieq li nindirizzaw? Ibgħatilna fuq shareholders@maltairport.com

Il-mistoqsijiet tiegħek imwieġba: Kif għandi ninforma lill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta b’bidla fid-dettalji tiegħi?

If you change your home address or the bank where we pay your dividend, you will need to inform us by filling a form. The change of address and the change of bank account forms are both available on www.maltairport.com from the corporate section.

| MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Fejn għandi nibgħat il-formola?

Nixtiequ nintroduċu taqsima ġdida f’MIA Link fejn ser inkunu qegħdin inwieġbu l-aktar mistoqsijiet frekwenti tal-azzjonisti tagħna. Ser nibdew b’mistoqsija li nirċievu ħafna, jiġifieri kif azzjonist jista’ jiżgura li jekk jinbidlu xi dettalji tiegħu dawn jiġu aġġornati fir-rekords tagħna.

What’s the first step?

We are pleased to introduce a new section in the MIA Link, through which we will answer some of the questions that are most frequently asked by our shareholders, starting with how shareholders can ensure that their details are updated in our records when there is a change.

Il-mistoqsijiet tiegħek imwieġba: Kif għandi ninforma lill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta b’bidla fid-dettalji tiegħi?

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Your questions answered: How do I inform Malta International Airport of a change in my details?

Share Price Analysis

Analiżi tal-Prezz tal-Ishma

Trading volumes in the equity of Malta International Airport plc (MIA) were stronger during the first nine months of 2023, even when compared to the trading volumes during the whole of 2022.

L-attività ta’ xiri u bejgħ tal-ishma ta’ Malta International Airport plc (MIA) kienet aktar b’saħħitha fl-ewwel disa’ xhur tal-2023, anki meta wieħed iqabbilha mat-tranżazzjonijiet kollha li saru matul is-sena 2022.

Between January and September 2023, a total of 912,105 shares exchanged hands across 647 trades, compared to a total of 651,522 shares across 456 trades in 2022. The value of such trading activity was of €5.1 million (2022: €3.8 million). During 2023, the equity was range bound with the share price trending between a high of €5.90 (2022: €6.05) and a low of €5.45 (2022: €5.65).

Fil-fatt, bejn Jannar u Settembru 2023, bidlu l-idejn 912,105 sehem f’647 tranżazzjoni, meta mqabbel ma’ total ta’ 651,522 sehem li bidlu l-idejn f’456 tranżazzjoni fl-2022. Din l-attività ta’ xiri u bejgħ kellha valur ta’ €5.1 miljun (2022: €3.8 miljun). Matul l-2023, il-prezz tal-ishma varja bejn livell għoli ta’ €5.90 (2022: €6.05) u livell baxx ta’ €5.45 (2022: €5.65).

The airport’s equity was most active on the Malta Stock Exchange in January and May, accounting for 30 per cent of the total number of trades (196 trades), volume (269,309 shares) and value (€1.5 million) of those recorded in the nine-month period.

MIA vs Equity Price Index & Equity Total Return Index [30 Sep 2022 - 30 Sep 2023]

In its updated guidance published on 7 November 2023, the airport operator announced that, by the end of 2023, it expects to welcome 7.8 million passengers and generate revenues amounting to €118 million. These figures represent an uplift of 32.2 per cent over passenger movements for 2022 (5.9 million passengers) and 34.1 per cent in terms of total revenue generated last year (€88 million).

L-ishma tal-ajruport raw l-akbar livelli ta’ attività fuq ilBorża ta’ Malta f’Jannar u Mejju 2023, b’dawn ix-xahrejn ikunu responsabbli għal 30 fil-mija tan-numru totali ta’ tranżazzjonijiet, jiġifieri 196 tranżazzjoni, tal-volum, 269,309 sehem, u l-valur, €1.5 miljun, irreġistrati f’dan il-perjodu ta’ disa’ xhur.

Fit-tbassir aġġornat li ħarġet għas-suq fis-7 ta’ Novembru 2023, il-kumpanija li topera l-ajruport ħabbret li qiegħda tistenna li tilqa’ 7.8 miljun passiġġier sal-aħħar tas-sena u tiġġenera dħul li jammonta għal €118-il miljun. Dawn iċ-ċifri jirrappreżentaw żieda ta’ 32.2% fuq ilmovimenti tal-passiġġieri għall-2022 (5.9 miljun passiġġier) u 34.1% fir-rigward ta’ dħul iġġenerat is-sena li għaddiet (€88 miljun).

MSE Equity Price Index MSE Equity Total Return Index MIA Price

9,000.000

6.000

8,000.000

5.900

7,000.000

5.600 4,000.000 5.500

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

3,000.000 5.400 2,000.000

5.300

1,000.000

5.200

0.000 30 SEP 2022

30 OCT 2022

30 NOV 2022

30 DEC 2022

30 JAN 2023

30 FEB 2023

30 MAR 2023

30 APR 2023

30 MAY 2023

30 JUN 2023

30 JUL 2023

30 AUG 2023

30 SEP 2023

5,000.000

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

5.700

Share Price Analysis

6,000.000

Analiżi tal-Prezz tal-Ishma

5.800

Revenue generated between January and September While €63.4 million of the total revenue stemmed from aviationrelated activities, €28.2 million was attributable to nonaviation activities, such as the company’s VIP products, the car parks, rents and concessions. The ratio between aviation and non-aviation activities during the first nine months was almost exactly in line with the company’s target to maintain a healthy 70:30 split between its revenue-generating streams. Forty-one per cent of the total revenue for the first nine months was generated in the third quarter, which was the busiest quarter for Malta International Airport in terms of passenger traffic. Considered the peak summer months, July, August and September accounted for 43 per cent of the airport’s traffic between January and September 2023.

Staff and operating costs The company’s income statement for January to September 2023 shows an increase in staff costs over 2022. This rise is largely attributable to an increase in the number of employees engaged by the company to handle the significantly busier operation, as well as respond to newly emerging needs and requirements.

An increase of 37.4 per cent in operating costs was reported for the period in question over the same comparable period in 2022, which is in part also a reflection of Malta International Airport’s recovery and subsequent growth.

The company’s updated guidance Malta International Airport’s net profit for the first nine months of the year amounted to €32.3 million. This result gave the company the confidence to upgrade its financial guidance, projecting that by the end of the year, it will have generated €118 million in revenues and netted a profit of €40 million.

The payment of an interim dividend While Malta International Airport had regularly paid an interim dividend to its shareholders since its IPO in 2002, this changed in 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its lasting effects. Following three tumultuous years, 2023 marked the reinstatement of the payment of the interim dividend, which amounted to €0.03 per share and was paid in September 2023.

Dħul iġġenerat bejn Jannar u Settembru Filwaqt li €63.4 miljun tad-dħul totali ġġenerat millkumpanija kien ir-riżultat ta’ attivitajiet marbutin malavjazzjoni, €28.2 miljun irriżultaw minn attivitajiet oħrajn, bħall-prodotti VIP tal-ajruport, il-parkeġġi ta’ madwar l-ajruport, il-ħlas ta’ kirjiet u l-konċessjonijiet. Il-qasma bejn id-dħul mill-attivitajiet marbutin mal-avjazzjoni u attivitajiet oħrajn kienet kważi allinjata preċiżament malmira tal-kumpanija li d-dħul li jiġi ġġenerat minn dawn iżżewġ sorsi jinżamm fi proporzjon ta’ 70:30. It-tielet kwart tas-sena għamel tajjeb għall-ġenerazzjoni ta’ 41% tad-dħul kollu tal-kumpanija għall-ewwel disa’ xhur. Dan il-kwart kien ukoll l-aktar wieħed impenjattiv għall-ajruport fir-rigward ta’ movimenti tal-passiġġieri. Filfatt, matul ix-xhur ta’ Lulju, Awwissu u Settembru, li flimkien huma meqjusin bħala l-aqwa tas-sajf, l-ajruport ra 43% tattraffiku kollu li rrapporta bejn Jannar u Settembru 2023.

Spejjeż marbutin mal-istaff u l-operat Id-dikjarazzjoni ta’ dħul tal-kumpanija għall-perjodu Jannar sa Settembru 2023 indikat li kien hemm żieda flispejjeż marbutin mal-istaff fuq l-2022. Din iż-żieda kienet prinċipalment ir-riżultat ta’ żieda fin-numru ta’ persuni impjegati mill-kumpanija sabiex tkun tista’ tlaħħaq ma’ jiem aktar impenjattivi u tirrispondi għal bżonnijiet ġodda.

Ġiet irrappurtata wkoll żieda ta’ 37.4% fl-ispejjeż marbutin mal-operat għall-perjodu inkwistjoni meta mqabbel malistess perjodu fl-2022. Din iż-żieda wkoll xi ftit jew wisq tirrifletti l-irkupru li esperjenzat il-kumpanija u t-tkabbir sussegwenti.

Gwida finanzjarja aġġornata Il-profitt nett għall-ewwel disa’ xhur kien ta’ €32.3 miljun. Dan ir-riżultat wassal lill-kumpanija sabiex tirrevedi l-gwida finanzjarja tagħha li kienet ħarġet f’Awwissu 2023. Il-kumpanija issa qiegħda tipprevedi li sal-aħħar tassena tkun iġġenerat €118-il miljun fi dħul u għamlet profitt ta’ €40 miljun.

Il-ħlas ta’ interim dividend Filwaqt li Malta International Airport plc ħallset dividend interim b’mod regolari sa mill-Offerta Pubblika Inizjali (IPO) tagħha fl-2002, din is-sitwazzjoni nbidlet fl-2020 sforz il-pandemija tal-COVID u l-effetti kbar li kellha fuq l-industrija tal-avjazzjoni. Wara tliet snin ta’ inċertezza kbira, fl-2023 il-kumpanija reġgħet ħallset dividend interim lill-azzjonisti tagħha f’Settembru, li ammonta għal €0.03 għal kull sehem.

Riżultati b’saħħithom għall-ewwel 9 xhur tas-sena jwasslu lil Malta International Airport plc biex tirrevedi l-gwida finanzjarja tagħha

Malta International Airport plc’s solid traffic results were reflected in a strong income statement for the first nine months of 2023, which was published by the company in November. The company’s revenues amounted to €91.6 million, marking a double-digit increase of 38 per cent over the revenue reported for the period between January and September 2022. This figure also exceeded 2019 levels.

Ir-riżultati tat-traffiku b’saħħithom tal-ajruport kienu riflessi f’dikjarazzjoni tad-dħul pożittiva għall-ewwel disa’ xhur tas-sena, liema dikjarazzjoni ġiet ippubblikata mill-kumpanija f’Novembru 2023. Id-dħul tal-kumpanija ammonta għal €91.6 miljun, jiġifieri żieda sinifikanti ta’ 38% fuq dak li ġie rrappurtat għall-perjodu bejn Jannar u Settembru 2022. Din iċ-ċifra sebqet ukoll il-livelli li kienu ntlaħqu fl-2019.

Solid results for Q1-Q3 2023 prompt Malta International Airport plc to revise its financial guidance

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Solid results for Q1-Q3 2023 prompt Malta International Airport plc to revise its financial guidance

Riżultati b’saħħithom għall-ewwel 9 xhur tas-sena jwasslu lil Malta International Airport plc biex tirrevedi l-gwida finanzjarja tagħha

Routes World is just one of the international conferences for the aviation community that the Malta International Airport Traffic Development Team has been attending regularly over the past years. The team’s presence at this conference, the last edition of which saw more than 2,500 decision-makers representing airlines, airports and destinations convene in one place, is part of the efforts that are undertaken to pique the interest of international industry players in the Maltese Islands and their offering.

Another facet of the airport’s development strategy is aiming for a balanced mix of low-cost airlines and flag carriers. While the scales currently tip in favour of low-cost

Mr Cardona explained that added frequencies on the same route bring forth several benefits for the traveller, including more flexibility with the length of stay, particularly in the case of weekend breaks, quick getaways and short business trips. He went on to say that some of the most popular routes that connect Malta International Airport to three of its top markets have experienced an increase in the weekly flight frequencies between 2013 and 2023. Three of the biggest winners in this regard have been London Gatwick, where weekly flights have gone up from 18 in 2013 to 26 in 2023, Catania, which is now served by more than double the weekly flights that were operated 10 years ago

Today, we are connected to most main cities in Europe, with year-round scheduled flights on just under 100 direct routes such as Barcelona, Budapest, Madrid, Vienna and Warsaw. However, there are markets, including Scandinavia and the Baltics, that offer opportunities for direct connectivity from Malta that still need to be fully tapped into. Additionally, the 2019 golden days of connectivity are yet to be reexperienced, not just by Malta International Airport but by European airports in general as total air connectivity is still 16 per cent below pre-pandemic levels, and climate action and geopolitical tensions, could all be potential risks to the development of connectivity. Yet, as the operator of Malta’s only air terminal, Malta International Airport recognises its responsibility to keep the islands on the map while developing traffic in a way that brings widespread, longterm benefits.

However, the airport’s Senior Vice President for Traffic Development, Alex Cardona, told MIA Link that, over the past 10 years, an increasing number of airlines have become more receptive to the idea of operating from Malta throughout the year. This is the result of an array of efforts, ranging from a programme that incentivises winter operations to attendance at international conferences such as Routes World. Malta International Airport’s endeavours in this regard are always further strengthened by the Malta Tourism Authority’s destination marketing initiatives, highlighting that the Maltese Islands’ allure

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

The data shows that these joint efforts are bearing the desired results, with the increase in flights in winter (+66 per cent) outpacing the increase registered in summer (+57 per cent) between 2013 and 2023. Yet, this is only half the seasonality battle won, as more flights essentially mean that more aircraft seats need to be filled. Once again, the data here is encouraging, with the average seat load factor for January to March 2013 having stood at 71.7 per cent compared to a much higher average seat load factor of 81 per cent for the same three-month stretch in 2023.

Added frequencies on any route are a win, but better connections with hub airports, such as Munich, Frankfurt, Istanbul and Paris, bring the added value of allowing a traveller to fly onwards beyond Europe or to a market Malta International Airport is not directly connected with. The most recent Airport Connectivity Report published by Airports Council International reveals that taking June as an example shows that indirect connectivity, which measures the number of places people can travel to through a connecting flight, for the Maltese Islands has increased by 41 per cent since 2013.

Given that seasonality is an undesirable phenomenon for an island that relies on the tourism industry for approximately 20 per cent of its Gross Domestic Product and has limited resources, attracting year-round tourism has long been a pillar of the airport and the Malta Tourism Authority’s joint traffic development strategy. Part of the solution to seasonality has been the improvement of connectivity in the off-peak months. Airlines generally prefer to test the waters with new operations, such as the launch of a new route, during the summer, and enticing them to extend their operation into the quieter months–or indeed launch something completely new then–has never been an easy feat.

does not wane once winter sets in since it goes beyond sunshine and beaches.

The Maltese Islands are currently served by roughly the same number of carriers that operated in 2013. However, over the past 10 years, the composition of the airport’s airline network has undergone several changes as new carriers were welcomed at Malta International Airport while some others decided to terminate their operations due to various reasons, including pandemic-related challenges. Over this past decade, together with these airlines, the airport has succeeded in increasing direct airport connectivity by 14 per cent either through the introduction of brand-new routes or an increase in flight frequencies on existing routes.

and Munich which has registered a 70 per cent increase in weekly flights.

Connecting the Maltese Islands: The role of the traffic development team at Malta International Airport

The word’ traffic’ takes a whole new meaning at Malta International Airport. Rather than conjure up images of a slow-moving morning commute, at an airport, traffic development is all about new routes, flight frequencies and building relationships with partner airlines. MIA Link met with Malta International Airport’s Traffic Development Team ahead of their trip to Turkey to attend Routes World 2023 to learn more about Malta’s connectivity in the past decade, the seasonality phenomenon and the country’s strategy for sustainable growth.

Connecting the Maltese Islands: The role of the traffic development team at Malta International Airport

airlines at Malta International Airport, striving to retain a mix of carriers that is as balanced as possible allows for better diversification of Malta’s tourism market sources and making the most of the strengths of the different carriers to provide a wider choice of connectivity options and access to several markets.

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Minħabba li l-istaġjonalità hija fenomenu li ma tantx huwa ideali għal gżira li tiddependi fuq l-industrija tat-turiżmu għal madwar 20% tal-prodott domestiku gross tagħha u għandha wkoll riżorsi limitati, it-turiżmu matul is-sena kollha dejjem kien aspett importanti tal-istrateġija konġunta għall-iżvilupp tat-traffiku tal-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta u l-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu. Parti mis-soluzzjoni għall-istaġjonalità hija l-iżvilupp ta’ konnessjonijiet aħjar barra mix-xhur tas-sajf. Il-linji tal-ajru ġeneralment jippreferu jesperimentaw b’xi rotta ġdida matul ix-xhur tas-sajf. Iżda, kif stqarr ma’ MIA Link Alex Cardona li bħalissa jmexxi t-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tatTraffiku fi ħdan l-ajruport, matul dawn l-aħħar 10 snin, dejjem qed jiżdiedu l-linji tal-ajru li jagħżlu li joperaw minn Malta matul is-sena kollha. Dan il-progress sar sforz ta’ ħafna inizjattivi, li jvarjaw minn programm li jinċentivizza operat fix-xhur tax-xitwa sa attendenza għal konferenzi importanti bħal Routes World. L-isforzi tal-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta f’dan ir-rigward dejjem jiġu kkumplementati minn inizjattivi ta’ ‘destination marketing’ min-naħa tal-Awtorità Maltija għat-Turiżmu, li tipprova turi li l-gżejjer Maltin ma jitilfux il-faxxinu tagħhom ma’ tmiem is-sajf għax dak li għandhom x’joffru tabilħaqq imur lil hinn minn bajjiet sbieħ u xemx tisreġ. Id-data turi li dak li qed isir qed iħalli l-frott mixtieq, hekk kif iż-żieda fit-titjiriet fix-xhur tax-xitwa (+66%)

tisboq iż-żieda rreġistrata fix-xhur tas-sajf (+57%) għall-perjodu 2013-2023. Iżda dan huwa biss indikatur wieħed tas-suċċess miksub f’dan ir-rigward, minħabba li aktar titjiriet essenzjalment ifissru li aktar postijiet fuq l-ajruplani jridu jimtlew. Għal darba oħra, id-data hawnhekk hija inkoraġġanti, bis-seat load factor medju, li jkejjel kemm mill-postijiet disponibbli fuq it-titjiriet filfatt imtlew, ikun ta’ 71.7% għall-perjodu bejn Jannar u Marzu 2013 meta mqabbel ma’ dak aktar għoli ta’ 81% għall-istess medda ta’ tliet xhur fl-2023. Aspett importanti ieħor fl-istrateġija huwa dak li jissejjaħ balanced business mix, jiġifieri bilanċ bejn in-numru ta’ linji low cost u dawk magħrufin bħala flag carriers li joperaw mill-ajruport. Filwaqt li l-linji tal-ajru low-cost bħalissa jirrappreżentaw sehem akbar minn din il-business mix, l-isforzi sabiex dejjem tinżamm għażla wiesgħa ta’ linji tal-ajru jsarrfu kemm f’varjetà akbar ta’ swieq li minnhom joriġina t-turiżmu lejn Malta u kemm f’aktar għażla għall-passiġġier.

Iż-żieda tal-frekwenzi tat-titjiriet fuq kwalunkwe rotta hija xi ħaġa tassew pożittiva, iżda konnessjonijiet aħjar ma’

Netwerk ta’ titjiriet aktar b’saħħtu għall-gżejjer Maltin: X’inhu r-rwol tat-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku?

Routes World hija biss waħda mill-konferenzi internazzjonali għall-komunità tal-avjazzjoni li t-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tatTraffiku tal-ajruport ilu jattendi b’mod regolari għal dawn l-aħħar snin. L-attendenza tat-tim għal din il-konferenza, l-aħħar edizzjoni ta’ liema ġabret flimkien aktar minn 2,500 rappreżentant ta’ ajruporti, linji tal-ajru u destinazzjonijiet, hija parti mill-isforzi li jsiru matul is-sena sabiex jitqanqal l-interess fil-gżejjer Maltin u dak li għandhom x’joffru fost atturi importanti fl-industrija.

Is-Sur Cardona spjega li titjiriet aktar frekwenti fuq l-istess rotta għandhom għadd ta’ benefiċċji għal min ikun qed jivvjaġġa, bl-aktar wieħed importanti jkun il-flessibbiltà miżjuda fir-rigward tat-tul tas-soġġorn, partikolarment fil-każ ta’ weekend breaks u żjajjar qosra għal finijiet ta’ negozju. Huwa qal li wħud mill-aktar rotot popolari li jgħaqqdu lill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta ma’ tlieta mill-aqwa swieq tiegħu raw żieda fil-frekwenza ta’ titjiriet kull ġimgħa bejn l-2013 u l-2023. Ir-rotot li esperjenzaw żidiet notevoli matul l-aħħar 10 snin kienu l-ajruport ta’ Gatwick f’Londra, li minn 18-il titjira fil-ġimgħa issa huwa moqdi b’26 titjira, l-ajruport ta’ Katanja, li issa huwa moqdi minn aktar mid-doppju ta’ titjiriet, u Munich, li ra żieda ta’ 70% fin-numru ta’ titjiriet fil-ġimgħa.

Illum il-ġurnata, Malta tgawdi minn titjiriet diretti lejn ilmaġġorparti tal-ibliet Ewropej ewlenin, b’titjiriet skedati matul is-sena kollha fuq ftit anqas minn 100 rotta bħal Barċellona, Budapest, Vjenna, Madrid u Varsavja. Iżda għad hemm swieq li joffru opportunitajiet tad-deheb għal konnettività mtejba, bħar-reġjun Skandinavu u dak Baltiku, li t-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku għadu qed jipprova jisfrutta b’mod aħjar. Barra minn hekk, il-jiem meta l-konnettività kienet fl-aqwa tagħha fl2019 għadhom iridu jiġu lura, mhux biss għall-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta iżda anki għall-ajruporti Ewropej b’mod ġenerali fejn il-konnettività bl-ajru totali għadha 16% taħt il-livelli ta’ qabel il-pandemija. Barra minn hekk, jeżistu sfidi ġeopolitiċi u obbligi fir-rigward tal-klima li jistgħu jkunu ta’ theddida għall-iżvilupp tal-konnettività. Iżda bħala l-uniku ajruport tal-gżejjer Maltin, l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta, b’mod partikolari t-Tim talIżvilupp tat-Traffiku, ser jibqa’ jaħdem sabiex jiżviluppa t-traffiku b’tali mod li jġib benefiċċji li jgawdi minnhom kulħadd fuq medda ta’ żmien twila.

Netwerk ta’ titjiriet aktar b’saħħtu għall-gżejjer Maltin: X’inhu r-rwol tat-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku?

Il-kelma ‘traffiku’ għandha tifsira kemxejn differenti għall-ajruporti minn kif tintuża s-soltu. Għal ajruport, dil-kelma ma għandha xejn x’taqsam ma sriebet ta’ vetturi, iżda hija relatata man-numru ta’ passiġġieri, rotot ġodda u l-bini ta’ relazzjonijiet ma’ linji tal-ajru differenti. MIA Link iltaqgħet mat-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku fi ħdan l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta, qabel ma dan it-tim irħielha lejn it-Turkija sabiex jattendi Routes World 2023, sabiex insiru nafu aktar dwar il-konnettività ta’ Malta matul dawn l-aħħar 10 snin, il-fenomenu tal-istaġjonalità u l-istrateġija talpajjiż għal tkabbir sostenibbli.

ajruporti magħrufin bħala hubs, bħal Munich, Frankfurt, Istanbul u Pariġi, għandhom il-benefiċċju li jippermettu lil min ikun qiegħed jivvjaġġa joħroġ ’il barra mill-Ewropa jew inkella jżur xi destinazzjoni li bħalissa l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta ma joffrix titjiriet diretti lejha. L-aktar rapport reċenti ta’ Airports Council International dwar il-konnettività juri li jekk wieħed jieħu x-xahar ta’ Ġunju bħala eżempju jara li l-konnettività indiretta, li tkejjel kemm-il post persuna tista’ żżur permezz ta’ titjira ta’ konnessjoni, għall-gżejjer Maltin żdiedet b’41% sa mill-2013.

MIA Link November 2023 Issue No. 28

Netwerk ta’ titjiriet aktar b’saħħtu għall-gżejjer Maltin: X’inhu r-rwol tat-Tim tal-Iżvilupp tat-Traffiku?

Bħalissa qegħdin joperaw minn Malta kważi l-istess numru ta’ linji tal-ajru li l-ajruport kellu fl-2013. Madankollu, matul dawn l-aħħar 10 snin, id-dinamika tan-netwerk ta’ linji tal-ajru li jaqdu lill-gżejjer tagħna nbidlet kemmil darba, hekk kif ċerti operaturi ġodda nedew is-servizzi tagħhom mill-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta filwaqt li oħrajn għażlu li jtemmu l-operat tagħhom mill-gżejjer tagħna għal diversi raġunijiet, inklużi sfidi marbutin malpandemija tal-COVID. Flimkien mal-linji tal-ajru sħab tiegħu tul dan l-aħħar deċennju, l-Ajruport Internazzjonali ta’ Malta rnexxielu jżid il-konnessjonijiet diretti ma’ ajruporti oħrajn b’14% permezz tal-introduzzjoni ta’ rotot kompletament ġodda jew inkella ż-żieda tal-frekwenza ta’ titjiriet fuq rotot eżistenti.