Capacity - Malta

PRB monitoring

▪ Malta registered zero minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2022, thus achieving the local target value of 0.01.

▪ The average number of IFR movements was 23% below 2019 levels in Malta in 2022.

▪ The number of ATCOs in OPS is planned to increase by 19% by the end of RP3, however, the actual value decreased in Malta ACC in 2022 due to lower-than-planned levels of recruitment and remained below the 2022 plan.

▪ The yearly total of sector opening hours in Malta ACC was 12,906 in 2022, showing a 21.4% increase compared to 2021. Sector opening hours are 6.4% below 2019 levels.

▪ Malta ACC registered 25.64 IFR movements per one sector opening hour in 2022, being 7.3% below 2019 levels.

En route performance

En route ATFM delay (KPI#1)

Summary of capacity performance

Malta experienced an increase in traffic from 72k flights in 2021, with zero ATFM delay, to 101k flights in 2022, also with zero en route ATFM delay.

Traffic levels were still substantially below the 130k flights in 2019.

NSA’s assessment of capacity performance

While numbers are rebounding, the charging zones retain significan excess capacity availability.

Monitoring process for capacity performance

Actual values represent expected capacity targets.

Capacity planning

No capacity issues identified for Malta en route airspace.

Application of Corrective Measures for Capacity (if applicable)

No data available

Other indicators

Subsequent to COVID, recruitment of ATCOs has not been at the level planned for, due to high demand of these skills worlwide.

Terminal performance

Arrival ATFM delay (KPI#2)

The scope of RP3 monitoring for Malta comprises the main airport (LMML),where traffic in 2022, regardless of an increase of 49% with respect to 2021, was still 17 % lower than in 2019.
In accordance with IR (EU) 2019/317 and the traffic volume, pre-departure delays are not monitored at Malta and the capacity performance monitoring focuses on arrival ATFM delay and slot adherence.

Average arrival ATFM delays in 2022 was 0 min/arr, compared to 0.01 min/arr in 2021 and ATFM slot adherence remains high (2022: 96.6%; 2021: 96.6%).

No arrival ATFM delay was observed at Malta-Luqa (LMML) in 2022.
3. Arrival ATFM Delay – National TargetThe national target on arrival ATFM delay in 2022 was met.

Malta’s ATFM slot compliance was 96.6%. With regard to the 3.4% of flights that did not adhere, 1.3% was early and 2.1% was late.

Other terminal performance indicators (PI#1-3)

Airport level
Airport name
Avg arrival ATFM delay (KPI#2)
Slot adherence (PI#1)
ATC pre departure delay (PI#2)
All causes pre departure delay (PI#3)
2020 2021 2022 2023 2020 2021 2022 2023 2020 2021 2022 2023 2020 2021 2022 2023
Malta/Luqa NA 0.01 NA NA 97.1% 96.6% 96.6% NA% 0.04 0.01 0.21 NA 7.0 7.9 14.4 NA

ATFM slot adherence

This indicator is not monitored for airports below 80 000 IFR movements annual average during the 2016-2018 period, so it is not monitored for any airport in Malta.

ATC pre-departure delay

This indicator is not monitored for airports below 80 000 IFR movements annual average during the 2016-2018 period, so it is not monitored for any airport in Malta.

All causes pre-departure delay

No data available: airport operator data flow not established, or more than two months of missing / non-validated data