Malaga airport plans expansion with with an eye on 35 million passengers

In November 2023, Málaga-Costa del Sol airport surpassed the 20 million annual passenger barrier for the first time in its 104-year history, and Aena is already working on the future expansion of the T-3 terminal, with a projected capacity of around 35 million passengers.

The need to expand Malaga-Costa del Sol airport stems both from the strong growth in passenger numbers and the recovery of tourist activity after the pandemic. Among the initial options was the possibility of creating a new terminal however, work is currently underway on the extension of the current Terminal 3 instead.

The company specialising in technologies applied to aeronautics, Aertec, commissioned by the airport manager Aena, is working on the design to increase the capacity of Malaga airport, which remains the third largest airport on the peninsula in terms of passenger volume and the main gateway for international tourism in Andalucia.

Improving the experience for passengers

The director of Airport Planning at Aertec, Ana Pérez, explained to EFE on Wednesday that the study not only covers the expansion of the Malaga airport’s capacity, but also other actions aimed at improving the passenger experience.

The aim is to improve, thanks to new technologies, the passenger experience, to make it “simpler”, so that it takes less time to check in or go through security control, she said.

Likewise, new commercial, catering and leisure services are planned, all with the aim of making the airport, “not a place you have to go to, but a place you want to go to”, according to Pérez.

Malaga-Costa del Sol airport is one of the busiest tourist airports in the Aena network. The T-2 terminal was inaugurated in 1991; the T-3, in 2010, and since 2012 it has had a second runway.