What the expansion of Malaga airport will look like

Malaga Airport continues its remarkable expansion, with predictions indicating it will welcome nearly 27 million passengers a year by the end of 2025. 

The gateway to the Costa del Sol appears to have unstoppable growth and is already Spain’s 4th busiest airport. In the first half of 2025, Malaga Airport recorded 12.4 million passengers, a 7.8 per cent increase compared to the same period in 2024. According to data from Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea (Aena), the upward trend is leading to a record-breaking year. By applying the same growth rate to the second half of 2024, when 13.4 million passengers passed through, the airport could see approximately 14.5 million travellers from July to December, pushing the annual total to an unprecedented 26.8 million. The figure shatters the previous record of nearly 25 million passengers set in 2024, a remarkable recovery and inseparable from the pre-COVID era.

The airport’s exponential growth, particularly post-COVID, has prompted ambitious expansion plans. Aena has outlined a major project to modernise and enlarge the airport, aiming to accommodate up to 36 million passengers each year. The plan is hoped to begin in 2028, with project planning and environmental assessments starting in 2026. The goal is to improve the passenger experience and operational efficiency by significantly upgrading infrastructure.

Malaga airport expansion plans more non-Schengen arrivals

The proposed expansion is huge. The terminal area will grow from 80,000 to 140,000 square metres, involving the demolition of the outdated Terminal 1 and Docks B and C. A new non-Schengen dock with centralised border control, increased contact positions for aircraft, and an upgraded baggage handling system are among the planned improvements. Security screening areas will expand by 112 per cent, passport control for departures by 515 per cent, and non-Schengen waiting and boarding areas by 381 per cent. Schengen boarding zones will see a 126 per cent increase, while commercial areas and VIP lounges will grow by 41 per cent. The redesign is meant to streamline processes from arrival to boarding, and improve overall passenger comfort and service quality.

On the airfield itself, new taxiways will make aircraft traffic more fluid and complementing the runway’s existing capacity. There is no plan currently to build a third runway. While, exterior upgrades include improved access and expanded parking. While the investment cost remains undisclosed, Aena’s vision is clear: to future-proof Malaga Airport for its rocketing demand, making sure it remains a vital hub for the Costa del Sol’s tourism-driven economy. 106 years have passed since the first Salmson 2A landed, and now Malaga Airport is on the verge of a huge leap forward.