Friday, 7 February 2025, 14:43
Last year was record-breaking for Malaga Airport with almost 25 million passengers. This figure has rung alarm bells among the authorities and tourism industry alike, which say that the infrastructure is crying out for expansion.
Maximum capacity stands at 30 million passengers, which means it has five million to go before filling up. But volume has grown by five million passengers in the last five years, with 3.6 million just in the last two years, so that 30 million figure is not far off being reached.
Assuming a future passenger growth rate of 10% (a lower rate than that recorded in the last five years), Malaga Airport will be too small by the end of next year.
Taking these calculations, 2025 would close with 27.3 million passengers and 2026 with 30 million and capacity to serve 9,500 passengers per hour.
Worse still, the current national airport five-year masterplan, known as Dora II, running until 2026, includes no investment plans for expansion and its growth forecasts were surpassed in 2023. This current plan has the airport ending 2026 with just 20.7 million passengers and 150,810 flight takeoffs and landings, well below reality.
Many voices are calling for Aena, the national airport operator, to kickstart the expansion process now as such projects take so long from initial tender to finish and they do not want to see access to the destination held back.
New investment
Aena is confident that Malaga will be included in the next period of major investments necessary to ensure Spain’s airports meet future demand, but we must wait for the Dora III plan to be published in 2027. On several occasions, Aena’s CEO, Maurici Lucena, has spoken of widespread expectations that “Spain will be one of the five countries in the world where there will be the greatest growth in passengers” in the next decades along with the United States, China, India and Indonesia.
Five million passengers
off maximum capacity
The current Dora, Aena’s Spanish airport masterplan that sets out investments over five years, does not include funds for the expansion of Malaga airport, although Aena says that Malaga will be included in invetment plans from 2027 onwards.
million passengers in 2024 puts Malaga in 4th place on the list of Spain’s busiest airports. It has grown 25.5% in the last five years
takeoffs and landings at Malaga, an 8.2% growth in just the last year, up 21% in the last five.
Five million passengers
off maximum capacity
The current Dora, Aena’s Spanish airport masterplan that sets out investments over five years, does not include funds for the expansion of Malaga airport, although Aena says that Malaga will be included in invetment plans from 2027 onwards.
million passengers in 2024 puts Malaga in 4th place on the list of Spain’s busiest airports. It has grown 25.5% in the last five years
takeoffs and landings at Malaga, an 8.2% growth in just the last year, up 21% in the last five.
Five million passengers off maximum capacity
The current Dora, Aena’s Spanish airport masterplan that sets out investments over five years, does not include funds for the expansion of Malaga airport, although Aena says that Malaga will be included in invetment plans from 2027 onwards.
million passengers in 2024 puts Malaga in 4th place on the list of Spain’s busiest airports. It has grown 25.5% in the last five years.
takeoffs and landings at Malaga, an 8.2% growth in just the last year, up 21% in the last five.
Five million passengers off maximum capacity
The current Dora, Aena’s Spanish airport masterplan that sets out investments over five years, does not include funds for the expansion of Malaga airport, although Aena says that Malaga will be included in invetment plans from 2027 onwards.
million passengers in 2024 puts Malaga in 4th place on the list of Spain’s busiest airports. It has grown 25.5% in the last five years.
takeoffs and landings at Malaga, an 8.2% growth in just the last year, up 21% in the last five.
Aena has said that “Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport will be part of that investment cycle, the most important in the last 20 years”. Aena’s updated 2022-2026 strategic plan notes: “The strong upturn in traffic, very marked in tourist airports, makes it necessary to plan investments for Dora III.”
This revised plan adds: “We will propose investments that will at least double those made in previous regulatory periods, in a group of airports that in 2023 handled 84% of our passengers.” Among such airports is Malaga-Costa del Sol, which has seen growth exceeding 10% since 2019, all with some initial work under way prior to the design work itself. The others are Barcelona-El Prat (T1 and T2), Alicante, Valencia, Ibiza, Menorca, Bilbao, Santander and Melilla. Some already have Aena-committed funds, but not Malaga.
First step in drafting work
for its own expansion
Aena is to launch a public tender to draft the projects to adapt the terminal and transit areas, worth almost 20 million euros, and further initiatives will be included in the proposal for Dora III.
million passengers and a maximum capacity of 20 million passengers, placing Alicante in sixth place across the Spanish airport network.
flights via Alicante’s single runway, up 15.2% last year.
First step in drafting work
for its own expansion
Aena is to launch a public tender to draft the projects to adapt the terminal and transit areas, worth almost 20 million euros, and further initiatives will be included in the proposal for Dora III.
million passengers and a maximum capacity of 20 million passengers, placing Alicante in sixth place across the Spanish airport network.
flights via Alicante’s single rinway, up 15.2% last year.
First step in drafting work
for its own expansion
Aena is to launch a public tender to draft the projects to adapt the terminal and transit areas, worth almost 20 million euros, and further initiatives will be included in the proposal for Dora III.
million passengers and a maximum capacity of 20 million passengers, placing Alicante in sixth place across the Spanish airport network.
flights via Alicante’s single runway, up 15.2% last year.
First step in drafting work for its own expansion
Aena is to launch a public tender to draft the projects to adapt the terminal and transit areas, worth almost 20 million euros, and further initiatives will be included in the proposal for Dora III.
million passengers and a maximum capacity of 20 million passengers, placing Alicante in sixth place across the Spanish airport network.
flights via Alicante’s single runway, up 15.2% last year.
The plan stresses: “Aena is currently immersed in a global analysis to detect the needs to be taken into account in the designs of several airports, including Malaga, and to include them in the proposal for Dora 2027-2031, which will be drawn up during the course of this year. The project for the future expansion of Malaga-Costa del Sol airport is among Aena’s plans for growth in Spain.”
It continues: “In the case of Malaga’s infrastructure, the company is analysing the functional needs of the terminal and will carry out a global analysis that will be activated when necessary.”
Aena’s confidence rests in that “presently, Malaga’s infrastructure has sufficient capacity and margin to continue growing up to a maximum capacity of 30 million passengers, 17% above passenger figures by the end of 2024”, making Aena confident that the prognosis for the sector is that “rates will moderate”.
.
Extension held up
but planned for 2026
The maximum capacity is 55m and so its expansion was included in the 2022-26 investment plan. However the work has come up against a cultural project that has become the last obstacle to overcome.
million passengers in 2024, 10.3% more than in 2023. This is the second busiest airport in Spain.
flights in 2024, 10.3% more landings and takeoffs than in 2023 and an increase of 1% on 2019.
Extension held up
but planned for 2026
The maximum capacity is 55m and so its expansion was included in the 2022-26 investment plan. However the work has come up against a cultural project that has become the last obstacle to overcome.
million passengers in 2024, 10.3% more than in 2023. This is the second busiest airport in Spain.
flights in 2024, 10.3% more landings and takeoffs than in 2023 and an increase of 1% on 2019.
Extension held up, but planned for 2026
The maximum capacity is 55m and so its expansion was included in the 2022-26 investment plan. However the work has come up against a cultural project that has become the last obstacle to overcome.
million passengers in 2024, 10.3% more than in 2023. This is the second busiest airport in Spain.
flights in 2024, 10.3% more landings and takeoffs than in 2023 and an increase of 1% on 2019.
Extension held up
but planned for 2026
The maximum capacity is 55m and so its expansion was included in the 2022-26 investment plan. However the work has come up against a cultural project that has become the last obstacle to overcome..
flights in 2024, 10.3% more landings and takeoffs than in 2023 and an increase of 1% on 2019.
flights in 2024, 10.3% more landings and takeoffs than in 2023 and an increase of 1% on 2019.
However, the previous expansion (new control tower, building of terminal three and the second runway), took 11 years to complete from formal approval in 2001 to 2010 (when the new terminal opened) and then to 2012 for the extra runway.
Hence, regional tourism minister Arturo Bernal believes the time has come to start lobbying for expansion of the airport and has said that the Junta is going to ask for measures to be taken now.
“Of course this is going to be a demand that we are going to take forward from now on,” he said, adding, “Malaga really needs to plan the expansion now.”
On the list after surpassing
maximum capacity
In May Aena made a commitment to Valencia’s regional government to expand the airport, which has already exceeded its capacity of 10.5 million passengers. Aena reports it is making progress in the redesign.
million passengers, up 11.4% on 2023 and in 8th place for passenger volume.
flights in 2024, an increase of 8.3% on the previous year and also up on 2019 by 12.6%.
On the list after surpassing
maximum capacity
In May Aena made a commitment to Valencia’s regional government to expand the airport, which has already exceeded its capacity of 10.5 million passengers. Aena reports it is making progress in the redesign.
million passengers, up 11.4% on 2023 and in 8th place for passenger volume.
flights in 2024, an increase of 8.3% on the previous year and also up on 2019 by 12.6%.
On the list after
surpassing the
maximum capacity
In May Aena made a commitment to Valencia’s regional government to expand the airport, which has already exceeded its capacity of 10.5 million passengers. Aena reports it is making progress in the redesign.
million passengers, up 11.4% on 2023 and in 8th place for passenger volume.
flights in 2024, an increase of 8.3% on the previous year and also up on 2019 by 12.6%.
On the list after surpassing
maximum capacity
In May Aena made a commitment to Valencia’s regional government to expand the airport, which has already exceeded its capacity of 10.5 million passengers. Aena reports it is making progress in the redesign.
million passengers, up 11.4% on 2023 and in 8th place for passenger volume.
flights in 2024, an increase of 8.3% on the previous year and also up on 2019 by 12.6%.
He highlighted that, when the last expansion was carried out, the investment was regarded as far exceeding estimated capacities and yet now it has proven to be one of the best infrastructures ever built in Malaga as it not only benefits the Costa del Sol but all Andalucía. “This airport now needs an extension and of course we are going to demand it in writing. Promises are not enough for us.”
Aena has said that Malaga airport is in the investment plan for Dora III for the 2027-31 period
President of Turismo Costa del Sol, Francisco Salado, said: “(central) government is very late in the improvement and expansion of the airport, which is approaching the limit of its capacity, without seeing any urgency and firm commitments to the necessary new terminal and other investments.”
He also views the airport as a driving force for Andalucía: “If the airport starts to have problems, not only will the tourist sector have problems, but also the rest of economic activity and the arrival of companies and investors.”
Salado continued: “Enlargement is a fundamental action….it is not ‘dying of success’, it is dying because it is not being planned, managed, invested in and adapted to growth and its needs. And we have gone too many years without state investment.”
Malaga’s mayor, Francisco de la Torre, views airport expansion as “essential”, highlighting it as a key infrastructure not only for tourism but for the advancement of Malaga as a tech hub.
As for the hospitality sector, the Association of Hotel Businessmen of the Costa del Sol (Aehcos) assure that “the expansion must be addressed as soon as possible. What worries us is that the investments do not arrive on time”. The president of the employers’ association of travel agencies of the Costa del Sol, Sergio García, adds that “investments are urgently needed to guarantee the future of a key part of our infrastructure”.
Alicante succeeds in making initial moves in its expansion plans
Alicante, with 18.4 million passengers and a maximum capacity of 20 million, is like Malaga in that there are no expansion or investment plans in the current Dora airport masterplan.
However, where it is one big step ahead of Malaga Airport is that it has managed to get Aena to launch a public tender to draft the projects to adapt the terminal and transit areas, worth almost 20 million euros, and further initiatives will be included in the proposal for Dora III, the airports’ development plan for the next five years after 2027.
Alicante is the sixth busiest airport in Aena’s network by passenger volume whereas Malaga occupies fourth place after Madrid, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca.
Aena has also committed to ambitious improvement plans for the top two airports, although Barcelona’s El Prat airport will have to overcome a major obstacle as its redesign has stumbled on a cultural project.
Aena has also committed to Valencia Airport more than Malaga Airport in its updated strategic plan 2022-2026 in that no financial allocations have been agreed as with Alicante. Aena insists on the message that “the airport will never be an obstacle to the growth of the Costa del Sol”, but the investments and deadlines are yet to be specified.
