Malta International Airport has unveiled its flight schedule for the summer 2026 season, announcing several new routes and increased frequencies aimed at strengthening the island’s connectivity with key European markets and the United States.
The most notable development is the introduction of direct flights between Malta and New York by Delta Air Lines, which will become the first American carrier to operate direct services to the island.
The airline is set to run three weekly flights between Malta and New York City between June and October.
Northern Europe is also set to see improved connections. Norwegian Air Shuttle will launch a new route to Billund and increase the frequency of its flights to Oslo and Helsinki during the summer months.
Meanwhile, Ryanair will extend its direct flights to Gothenburg into the summer schedule.
Further north, airBaltic will double the frequency of its flights between Malta and Tallinn, increasing services from once to twice a week.
In the Mediterranean region, Ryanair and Wizz Air will continue to expand routes to Tirana, offering direct connections to the Albanian capital.
The United Kingdom will also see additional links, with easyJet launching new connections to Glasgow and Newcastle upon Tyne, while Jet2 will introduce a new route to London Gatwick Airport.
The United Kingdom remains one of Malta International Airport’s most important markets. In February it ranked as the second-largest market with an 18.1% share of traffic, closely following Italy, which accounted for 18.2%.
Passenger traffic at the airport reached 658,328 in February, with daily movements peaking at 30,875 passengers on 15 February as Maltese Carnival and Valentine’s Day celebrations drew to a close over the weekend.
Seat capacity for the month stood at 806,540, representing a 15.8% year-on-year increase. The seat load factor also rose to 81.6%, marking an improvement of 1.1 percentage points over 2025.
Despite the strong start to the year and the expanded summer schedule, Malta International Airport said it is continuing to monitor geopolitical developments. The airport’s traffic development team is maintaining close contact with airlines, particularly those operating flights to countries affected by ongoing conflicts.