Malta-Gozo passenger traffic tops two million

More than two million passengers travelled on sea links between Malta and Gozo during the second quarter of 2026, with ferry traffic and vehicle crossings increasing compared to the same period last year, according to figures published by the National Statistics Office (NSO). 

Between April and June, a total of 12,977 trips were carried out across all sea routes linking Malta and Gozo, carrying 2,037,526 passengers. June was the busiest month for crossings, accounting for 4,646 trips, or 35.8% of all sailings during the quarter.

The Mġarr–Ċirkewwa route remained the busiest, with 1,640,258 passengers travelling between Gozo and Malta during the three-month period, a 3% increase over the second quarter of 2025.

Vehicle traffic on the route also continued to grow. A total of 559,633 vehicles crossed between Mġarr and Ċirkewwa, representing a 2% increase compared to the same period last year.

The number of sailings on the route rose to 9,178, up 2.8% year-on-year. May recorded the highest number of trips, with 3,125 crossings.

The NSO said vehicle departures from Mġarr were busiest on Sundays and Mondays, while passenger traffic peaked on Saturdays and Sundays. From Ċirkewwa, both vehicle and passenger traffic were heaviest towards the end of the week, with Friday and Saturday recording the highest volumes.

In contrast, the fast ferry service between Mġarr and Valletta registered declines across all key indicators. The route carried 319,535 passengers during the second quarter, down 4.8% compared to the same period in 2025, while the number of trips fell by 4.7% to 2,589.

June recorded the highest number of fast ferry sailings, with 949 trips, although April remained the busiest month for passengers, with 109,469 travellers.

Passenger numbers on the Gozo Highspeed routes serving Sliema and Buġibba were stronger in June than in May.

During the quarter, operators carried 25,430 passengers on the Sliema–Mġarr route and 24,755 passengers in the opposite direction, making them the busiest of the four services. The Buġibba–Mġarr and Mġarr–Buġibba routes each carried just under 13,800 passengers during the same period.

The NSO figures indicate continued growth in demand for the conventional Gozo Channel service despite a decline in passenger numbers on the Valletta fast ferry route.