Capacity - Malta
PRB monitoring
Malta registered 0.03 minutes of average en route ATFM delay per flight during 2025, which remained 0.03 after the post-ops adjustment process, thus achieving the local target value of 0.03. Delays in Malta increased by 0.03 minutes per flight year-on-year.
The number of ATCOs in OPS was 53 being below the 2025 plan in Malta ACC by -2 FTE.
The yearly total of sector opening hours in Malta ACC was 12,127, showing a 26% increase compared to 2024.
Malta ACC registered 13.95 IFR movements per sector opening hour in 2025, being -12% below 2024 levels.
Malta registered an average airport arrival ATFM delay of 0.18 minutes per flight in 2025, thus not achieving the local target of 0.01 minutes. Compared to 2024, average arrival ATFM delays in Malta were 0.18 minutes per flight higher in 2025.
The main driver of delays was other non-ATC causes, accounting for 0.17 of the total delays.
En route performance
En route ATFM delay (KPI#1)
NoteFocus on en route ATFM delay
En route ATFM delay
Malta had 167k flights in 2025, up from the 148k flights in 2024.
MATS applied en route ATFM regulations that resulted in 5k minutes of delay.
Regarding the reasons and circumstances resulting in the achieved level of actual performance of the en route ATFM delay per flight KPI, the NSA reports: “The 2025 en-route ATFM delay per flight KPI was achieved at 0.03 minutes, equal to the target in the adopted performance plan. This outcome indicates that en-route capacity remained broadly aligned with demand despite traffic growth above forecast. Available evidence suggests that Malta retained sufficient operational headroom in the en-route charging zone to accommodate the traffic increase without deterioration in the annual KPI.
The average delay was 0.05 minutes per flight during Summer 2025 - 73% of the delays were due to the reason Other, 18% due to ATC Capacity and 9% due to the reason Weather.”
Regarding the description of the adjustments to the capacity plan included in adopted performance plan, the NSA reports: “No material adjustment to the adopted 2025 capacity planning assumptions is proposed. The annual KPI result indicates that the adopted en-route capacity target remained appropriate for 2025. The NSA will continue monitoring traffic growth, peak-throughput indicators and ATCO planning during RP4 in order to verify whether future adjustments become necessary.”
Regarding the identification and analysis by the NSA of the underlying reasons or circumstances having led to the performance target not being achieved, the NSA reports: “Not applicable.”
Regarding recommendations to the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “Not applicable.”
Regarding remedial measures that have been / will be taken by the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “No additional remedial measures are proposed for 2025 in respect of the en-route capacity KPI, as the annual target was achieved. Routine follow-up will continue through monitoring of slot adherence, throughput, staffing and training data, and the implementation status of planned investment measures relevant to capacity resilience.”
Regarding follow up of the remedial measures indicated in the previous monitoring report(s), the NSA reports: “Not applicable.”
En route capacity incentive scheme
The en route capacity incentive scheme described in the Malta performance plan does not foresee any possibility of a bonus. Therefore, even though MATS surpassed the required level of en route capacity performance, no financial bonus is applicable.
En route performance indicators at ACC level (PI#4-5)
NoteFocus en route performance indicators at ACC level
Percentage of total en route ATFM delay that occurred on days when the daily throughput was above the expected daily traffic
As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “For Malta ACC, 93.1% of total en-route ATFM delay in 2025 occurred on days when throughput was above expected daily traffic, and the annual weighted average of daily peak throughput was 33.5. These indicators are consistent with a traffic pattern where operational pressure is concentrated in peak periods rather than driven by persistent structural capacity shortage throughout the year. The NSA will continue to monitor whether peak concentration increases in future years and whether additional resilience measures become necessary.”
Annual weighted average of the daily peak throughput
As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “For Malta ACC, 93.1% of total en-route ATFM delay in 2025 occurred on days when throughput was above expected daily traffic, and the annual weighted average of daily peak throughput was 33.5. These indicators are consistent with a traffic pattern where operational pressure is concentrated in peak periods rather than driven by persistent structural capacity shortage throughout the year. The NSA will continue to monitor whether peak concentration increases in future years and whether additional resilience measures become necessary.”
NoteFocus on other en route information
ATCOs in operations
As additional comments to ATCOs in the scope of the performance scheme, the NSA reports: “As ATCOs are rated for more than one zone, the total of FTE's reported here does not equate the the actual total number of ATCOs reported in section 2 below at year end.”
“See comment for section 1 above.”
Regarding the training process, including details on the effective failure rate and the process used to allocate newly qualified ATCOs between ACC, APP and TWR positions, the NSA reports: “Air Traffic Control Officers (ATCOs) undergo their rating training at GATE Aviation Academy. Each rating course comprises both theoretical instruction and practical simulation training, with trainees being formally assessed throughout all modules to ensure they meet the required competency standards as per Commission Regulation (EU) 2015/340.
Upon successful completion of the rating course, trainees return to Malta to undertake the Pre-On-the-Job Training (Pre-OJT) programme. Following successful completion of this phase, they commence On-the-Job Training (OJT) in accordance with the provisions of the Unit Training Plan.
In the last decade, there have been four failures during rating training courses: two at the Area Control Surveillance (ACS) stage and two at the Aerodrome Control (ADC) stage.
ATCOs are initially assigned to the Aerodrome Control (ADC) rating. After approximately three years of operational experience, they are expected to progress to the Approach Control Surveillance (APS) rating, followed by the Area Control Surveillance (ACS) rating after a further two years. ATCOs are required to maintain all ratings valid and current until the age of 57.”
Terminal performance
Arrival ATFM delay (KPI#2)
NoteFocus on arrival ATFM delay
Arrival ATFM delay
Average ATFM arrival delay in Malta was 0.18 min/arr in 2025, the first year of RP4. The performance has worsened compared to 2024, last year of RP3, when there was no ATFM arrival delay (0.0 min/arr).
The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of ATFM Arrival delay across Member States in 2025 was 0.97 min/arr.
Regarding the reasons and circumstances resulting in the achieved level of actual performance of the arrival ATFM delay per flight KPI, the NSA reports: “The 2025 terminal and airport ANS ATFM arrival delay per flight KPI was not achieved.
The actual value at national level (and at LMML) was 0.18 minutes compared with a performance plan target of 0.01 minutes.
Traffic at LMML in 2025 exceeded the forecast used in the performance plan and this increased operational pressure in terminal operations. The 10% increase in LMML traffic resulted in the introduction of flow measures for LMML arrivals from June 2025 onwards.
The NSA notes, that the observed delay level remains limited in absolute terms and should be assessed together with local operating conditions, airport operational factors and wider network impacts affecting arrival sequencing and terminal demand peaks.”
Regarding the identification and analysis by the NSA of the underlying reasons or circumstances having led to the performance target not being achieved, the NSA reports: “The target shortfall is primarily attributable to traffic levels above forecast and the resulting increase in terminal operational complexity. Additional contributing factors include local peak concentration effects and network-related interactions affecting arrival demand and sequencing. The NSA will seek confirmation from the relevant service providers and airport actors to ensure that the root-cause analysis fully reflects the observed 2025 operating conditions.”
Regarding recommendations to the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “The NSA recommends that the relevant provider(s) review the 2025 drivers of terminal ATFM arrival delay, with particular attention to peak-demand periods, staffing resilience, coordination with airport stakeholders and any opportunities for tactical or structural optimisation of terminal sequencing and arrival management.
The analysis should also consider whether any local capacity planning assumptions for the remaining RP4 years require refinement in light of higher traffic.”
Regarding remedial measures that have been / will be taken by the ANSP to rectify the situation, the NSA reports: “For the purpose of this draft AMR, no quantified remedial package is proposed pending the completion of the detailed 2025 root-cause review by the relevant operational stakeholders.
The NSA will monitor the effectiveness of any measures through the 2026 annual cycle, using the arrival delay KPI, remote airport slot-adherence results that affect departures/arrival in Malta, traffic development and any additional local capacity monitoring information made available.”
Terminal capacity incentive scheme
The PRB has not been able to assess the results of the ATFM Arrival incentive scheme due to limitations in the target/pivot values information available.
| Airport level | ||||||||||
| Airport name |
Avg arrival
ATFM delay (KPI#2)
|
Slot adherence (PI#1)
|
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 | 2028 | 2029 | |
| Malta/Luqa | 0.18 | NA | NA | NA | NA | 95.3% | NA | NA | NA | NA |
NoteFocus on other terminal performance indicators
ATFM slot adherence
ATFM slot adherence in 2025 was equal to 95.3%, very close to 2024 value – last year of RP3 – of 96.0%. With regard to the 4.8% of flights that did not adhere, 2.8% were early and 2.0% were late.
The average for RP4 airports subject to monitoring of ATFM slot adherence across Member States in 2025 was 96.3%.
As background information on actual performance, the NSA reports: “Adherence to ATFM slots at LMML was 95.28% in 2025. This indicates generally good operational compliance with ATFM regulations and supports the view that, notwithstanding the miss on the terminal arrival delay KPI, the local operational system continued to function with a satisfactory level of tactical discipline. The NSA will continue to monitor slot-adherence together with terminal delay and peak-traffic indicators to identify whether any deterioration emerges as traffic increases further during RP4.”
ATC pre-departure delay
Malta airport is not subject to the monitoring of this indicator.
All causes pre-departure delay
Malta airport is not subject to the monitoring of this indicator.