Air Malta, the national airline of the Mediterranean island of Malta, operates a fleet of 12 narrowbody Airbus aircraft; seven A320s and five A319s. In recent years, the airline has transported between 1.6 and 1.7 million passengers per annum, with passenger numbers in 2011 expected to be down around 4%. The airline has had to face growing competition since the summer of 2010 from Ryanair, which made the airport its 41st base in May of that year and will this summer serve 28 destinations from the airport.
