The Maltese Register of Shipping saw an increase of almost 8.3 million gross tonnage in 2015, representing a growth rate of 14.3 percent compared to the year before, Transport Malta, the authority responsible for the Malta Ship Register, said.
In 2015 a total of 66.2 million gross tons were registered under the Merchant Shipping Act.
According to Transport Malta, 2015 is a record year for the Malta Flag, as over 900 ships for a total gross tonnage of over 12 million tons were registered during the year.
The authority added that Malta continued to consolidate its positive results in terms of its technical performance, thus reinforcing the quality of its registered fleet and its commitment towards safe, secure and clean shipping. The Maltese shipping community is aiming to attract younger tonnage to the fleet.
The average age of merchant ships registered under the Merchant Shipping Act during 2015 was 6.7 years, thus decreasing the average age of all the registered merchant fleet to 12 years.