A Gozitan man endured a maddening trip home that took longer than his flight from London to Malta amid huge queues for the fast ferry service even before the peak summer tourist season.
Nathan Portelli, 37, from Nadur, landed at Malta International Airport at 9.30am on March 30, after flying in from Gatwick.
But he did not make it home until 2.30pm after huge queues at the Valletta ferry terminal turned what should have been a straightforward journey into a gruelling five-hour slog.
“It took me less time to get to Malta from London than it took me to get from Malta to Gozo,” he said. “Every time I get the fast ferry recently, the line is an absolute joke.”
A video he shared with Times of Malta showed a line stretching roughly 100 metres at around 11.30am, with passengers left waiting in the heat as crowds spilt across the area.
“When I saw that line, I knew it was pointless waiting for that ferry and the next ferry too,” he said. “So, I decided to head back with my luggage and get a bus to Ċirkewwa instead.”
He eventually reached Gozo via the ferry from Ċirkewwa.
Portelli’s story is not unique.
Times of Malta also received several videos from another Gozitan showing similar scenes at the Valletta fast ferry terminal on April 4 and again on April 6.
The footage showed large crowds – said to be mostly tourists – queueing under the sun, with lines spilling onto the pavement and areas used by passengers disembarking from the ferry.
‘Increased demand in Easter’
A spokesperson for Gozo Highspeed Ferry said the scenes reflected the higher demand normally seen during the busy Easter period.
It added that the queue shown did not suggest any unusual situation, especially given that each vessel can carry around 300 passengers.
“The queue shown reflects the increased demand typically experienced during the busy Easter period,” it said.
The company also noted that, for the time being, queueing is taking place along the road rather than at the terminal sea level because urgent works are being carried out inside the terminal building.
It said passengers can book seats online up to 45 minutes before departure.
Those who reserve in advance can go straight to the designated ticketed queue and are guaranteed a seat on their chosen sailing.
The Gozo Tourism Association said it did not have official figures on passenger numbers over the Easter period but had consulted ferry operators to gauge demand.
“The feeling from the operators was that the number of tourists was around the same as last year,” it said.
The association noted that numbers appeared to fluctuate on certain days, particularly on April 2, due to bad weather. “The impact of the weather was clear,” it said.
The fast ferry service has grown in popularity in recent years, particularly among tourists, as it allows day trips between Valletta and Mġarr in around 45 minutes.
According to the transport ministry, more than 1.15 million passengers used the fast ferry service between Malta and Gozo in the first 11 months of 2025.
Figures from the National Statistics Office show that just under 980,000 passengers used the service in 2024.