Passenger traffic between Malta and Gozo grew by nearly 8% in Q2 2025

Sea transport between Malta and Gozo saw a notable increase during Q2 2025, with a total of 11,642 trips carrying 1.93 million passengers – a 7.7 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024.

The data, published by the National Statistics Office (NSO), indicates a continued upward trend in demand for inter-island transport.

The main Gozo Channel route connecting Mġarr and Ċirkewwa handled 1.59 million passengers between April and June 2025, representing a 3.5 per cent increase over the same period last year. Vehicle crossings also rose by 3.9 per cent to reach 548,423.

Although the number of trips on this route slightly decreased by 0.4 per cent to 8,925, June still recorded the highest number of crossings for the quarter, accounting for 33.8 per cent of total trips.

Sundays and Mondays remained the busiest days for departures from Mġarr, while Fridays and Saturdays saw the heaviest flow of vehicles from Ċirkewwa. Passenger volumes peaked on weekends in both directions.

Fast ferry service to Valletta gains momentum

The fast ferry service between Mġarr and Valletta also continued to gain traction. A total of 2,717 trips were carried out in Q2 2025, marking a 15.3 per cent increase compared to the previous year. Passenger numbers on this route surged by 32.7 per cent to 335,770, underlining the growing popularity of the direct link between Gozo and the capital.

May emerged as the busiest month, accounting for over 35 per cent of both trips and passengers for the quarter.

Looking at the first half of 2025, sea transport between Mġarr and Ċirkewwa carried more than 2.9 million passengers and over one million vehicles. Meanwhile, the fast ferry transported just over 550,000 passengers in the same period.