Málaga airport’s record year – Costa del Sol’s growing popularity
Málaga is the fourth busiest airport in Spain, behind Madrid, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. The airport is located just 8 km from the center of Málaga.
It is the main airport for all the resorts on the Costa Del Sol: Torremolinos (10 minutes), Benalmadena (15 minutes), Fuengirola (20 minutes), Calahonda (25 minutes), Marbella (30 minutes), Puerto Banus (40 minutes) and Estepona (60 minutes).
Málaga airport in 2023
The popularity of Spain’s Málaga Airport is growing year after year. In the past year, it has been used by 22 million travelers, an impressive confirmation of the interest in this sunny coast. This means that Málaga ranks third in terms of passenger numbers among airports in mainland Spain, and also recorded the highest growth in the entire country. In addition, the last twelve months registered a record number of baggage carried.
In 2023, a total of 161,684 flights were checked in at Málaga Airport, a 12.5% increase in travelers compared to 2019, the airport’s record year so far. This is further evidence of the Mediterranean coast’s growing popularity with tourists, who are returning after a period of decline related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An exceptionally high volume of traffic at Malaga Airport was recorded in July, when 2,432,411 passengers were handled. Among them, most came from the UK (5,343,869 passengers), Germany (1,646,777), the Netherlands (1,311,933), France (1,274,737) and Italy (1,027,799).
As many as 84 million tourists visited the Iberian Peninsula last year, an increase of 17% compared to 2022.
Spain is currently very popular as a travel destination, with the latest forecasts showing an 11% increase in tourist traffic in the first quarter of 2024.
Malaga – why is it worth the trip?
For tourists who choose Malaga as their destination, proximity to tourist attractions such as the Cueva de Nerja caves and the city of Antequera, described as the heart of Andalusia, is also important. Proximity to historic cities such as Granada (136 km), with the nearby ski resort of Sierra Nevada, and Córdoba (168 km) attracts proponents of active sightseeing.
The airport is well connected to other cities via the MA-21 and MA-20 expressway network, and you can also directly reach the center of Málaga using the C1 train line (Malaga Centro Alameda – Fuengirola), which connects the airport to many key points on the Costa del Sol, such as Fuengirola, Benalmádena, Torremolinos and the center of Málaga. The airport is also well connected to the center of Málaga.
Málaga has recently become a very popular place to work remotely.
Tourists from all over the world are, of course, attracted to the lively beaches of the Costa del Sol, with great bars, excellent restaurants and a unique climate.
Spain also attracts water sports enthusiasts but also cyclists, for whom a great and constantly expanding infrastructure awaits.
