Malaga Airport – Costa del Sol

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Malaga Airport

Málaga Airport (IATA: AGP, ICAO: LEMG), also known as Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the main airport for the Costa del Sol of Spain. It is 8 km southwest of Málaga and 5km north of Torremolinos. The airport has flight connections to over 60 countries worldwide, and 12,813,764 passengers passed through it in 2008. The airport currently operates with twoterminals. A third terminal adjacent to the previous two is currently under construction and is scheduled to open in 2009. A second runway is expected to open by 2010. Málaga airport is currently upgrading its infraestructure with the inauguration of the 2nd runway and an underground station for the suburban trains, connecting it with Málaga and providing this way better communications with the city center.

History

The first scheduled air service from Málaga began in 1919, when Didier Daurat began regular flights between Toulouse, Barcelona, Alicante, Málaga Tangiers and Casablanca. In 1937, training academies for the Air Force were set up in Málaga airport, and in 1946 the airport was opened to international civil passenger flights, and was classified as a customs post. The one runway was extended in the 1960s, and a new terminal was erected in the centre of the site. During this period of development new navigational equipment was installed, including radar system at the end of the decade, in 1970.

Having been known by various names throughout its history, Málaga Airport was officially given its current title in 1965. Three years later, in 1968, the new passenger terminal was opened. In 1972 a second passenger terminal was opened to cater specifically for non-scheduled traffic. An increase in companies offering package holidays (around 30 by 1965) meant that this type of traffic was providing an increasing portion of the airport’s business.

In 1991, the brand new Pablo Ruiz Picasso terminal was opened. This building was designed by architect Ricardo Bofill, and was built to be operated in combination with the pre-existing passenger terminal. The new terminal, known also as Terminal 2, hosts a large check-in/entrance hall with a Burger King on the southern side and a long row of check-in desks running left to right across the concourse. Once passengers check in they go beyond the check-in desks themselves to access the security areas instead of having to “back-track” on themselves, meaning that the check-in concourse is less crowded, particularly important if people have luggage trolleys. Once beyond the security check-point passengers can use the airport’s facilities. These include:

  • Duty-free/Tax-free shopping which is located on a mezzanine floor and accessed by a series of escalators.
  • Restaurant/Buffet style diner also located on the upper level.

Once each flight has been allocated a departure gate, passengers are told to proceed to a pier, either B to the left or C to the right. As a general rule domestic departures, in particular Iberia, Spanair flights depart from pier B along with mainland European flights. Pier C hosts flights departing to the UK and Ireland although some UK carriers such as EasyJet flights to Liverpool occasionally depart from pier B.

Further development was done on the airport in the mid-90s, with the old passenger building being converted into a general aviation terminal, and a new hangar for large aircraft maintenance being built to the north of the airport site. Also constructed in this period was a terminal specifically catering to cargo traffic.

Málaga airport airlines and destinations

Terminal 1

  • Aeroflot (Moscow-Sheremetyevo)
  • Blue Air (Bucharest-Băneasa)
  • Delta Air Lines (New York-JFK)
  • Flybe (Exeter, Southampton)
  • TAP Portugal
    • operated by Portugália (Lisbon)

Terminal 2

  • Aer Lingus (Belfast-International, Cork, Dublin, London-Gatwick)
  • Air Berlin (Berlin-Tegel, Cologne/Bonn, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, Hannover, Münster/Osnabrück, Nuremberg, Palma de Mallorca)
  • Air Europa (Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, Paris-Charles de Gaulle)
  • Air Finland (Helsinki)
  • Air Transat (Montréal-Trudeau, Toronto-Pearson)
  • Arkefly (Amsterdam)
  • Bmibaby (Birmingham, Cardiff, East Midlands, Manchester)
  • British Airways (London-Gatwick, London-Heathrow)
  • Brussels Airlines (Brussels)
  • Bulgaria Air (Sofia)
  • Cimber Sterling (Aalborg, Billund, Copenhagen)
  • Clickair (Barcelona, Bilbao)
  • Condor Airlines (Frankfurt, Munich)
  • EasyJet (Basel/Mulhouse, Belfast-International, Berlin-Schönefeld, Bristol, East Midlands, Geneva, Glasgow-International, Liverpool, London-Gatwick, London-Luton, London-Stansted, Manchester, Milan-Malpensa, Newcastle)
  • Flyglobespan (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow-International)
  • Germanwings (Stuttgart)
  • Iberia (Madrid)
    • operated by Air Nostrum (Asturias, Bilbao, Casablanca, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Ibiza, Melilla, Palma de Mallorca, San Sebastian, Santander, Tenerife-North, Valencia)
  • Iberworld (Shannon,Cork)
  • Jet2.com (Blackpool [seasonal], Leeds/Bradford, Manchester [seasonal], Newcastle)
  • Jetairfly (Brussels, Liége)
  • Kuwait Airways (Kuwait) [seasonal]
  • Lufthansa (Frankfurt, Munich)
  • Luxair (Luxembourg)
  • Malév Hungarian Airlines (Budapest) [begins 6 June]
  • Martinair (Amsterdam)
  • Niki (Vienna) [seasonal])
  • Monarch Airlines (Birmingham, London-Gatwick, London-Luton, Manchester)
  • Norwegian Air Shuttle (Aalborg, Bergen, Copenhagen, Oslo-Gardermoen, Rygge, Stavanger, Stockholm-Arlanda, Trondheim, Warsaw)
  • Regional Air Lines (Tangier)
  • Rossiya (St Petersburg)
  • Ryanair (Birmingham, Bournemouth, Bremen, Brussels-Charleroi, Dublin, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow-Prestwick, Hahn, Liverpool, London-Stansted, Marseille, Milan-Bergamo [begins 5 July], Shannon, Weeze)
  • Scandinavian Airlines System (Copenhagen, Oslo-Gardermoen, Stockholm-Arlanda) [end 25 October])
  • Saudi Arabian Airlines (Riyadh, Jeddah) [seasonal]
  • Spanair (Barcelona, Bilbao, Copenhagen, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Madrid, Stockholm-Arlanda, Tenerife-South)
  • SkyEurope (Prague, Bratislava)
  • Swiss International Air Lines (Geneva, Zurich)
  • Thomas Cook Airlines (Birmingham, Glasgow-International, Leeds/Bradford, London-Gatwick, London-Luton, Manchester, Newcastle) [seasonal]
  • Thomson Airways (Birmingham, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Doncaster/Sheffield, East Midlands, Glasgow-International, London-Gatwick, London-Luton, Manchester, Newcastle)
  • transavia.com (Amsterdam, Copenhagen, Rotterdam, Eindhoven)
  • TUIfly (Cologne/Bonn, Stuttgart)
  • Vueling Airlines (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Paris-Charles de Gaulle, Rome-Fiumicino, Santiago de Compostela)

Traffic

Passenger numbers have increased consistently from levels of around 6 million in 1995 to 12.8 million passengers in 2008. The busiest routes are those within the EU, particularly to and from the United Kingdom and Ireland. The airport is also used by many people visiting Gibraltar, since more airlines cover this airport than Gibraltar Airport

Access

Málaga airport is well-served by public transport, with Cercanías Málaga train directly serving the airport from Málaga city centre and Fuengirola, an airport coach linking to Marbella bus station. The number 19 bus run by EMTSAM runs a service to Málaga Bus Station and the City Centre and costs 1 Euro. The bus runs from 6am – 12 midnight and departs from the arrivals section in both terminals 1 and 2.

Train

Malaga airport train transfer goes from the train station found outside the international terminal. You have to go up the escalator stairs in the arrival lobby and go to the departures lobby. Go to the upper deck parking area and turn right. Look for the signs which indicate the train station, passing over the walkway bridge. It is about a 12 minute ride to Malaga city. These train start to work at a little after 7:00 a.m. with about half an hour frequency between them. You can catch the last train at a quarter to twelve, just before midnight. If taking the train to Fuengirola, this train starts at a little past 6:00 a.m. and takes about half an hour to arrive. The last one is at about ten forty and runs every half hour.

To Málaga City

First train 07:09 then 39 and 09 minutes past the hour. Last train 23.59 journey time 12 min’s.

To Fuengirola

First train 05.54 then at 14 and 44 minutes past the hour. Last train 22.44 journey time 29 min’s.

Price of train ticket

Most one way journeys are under 3 euros depending on destination and day of the week. (slightly higher tariff on Saturdays and public holidays).

Bus

From Malaga airport you can take a bus every half hour. The bus stop is just outside of the Malaga airport arrival terminal hall.

There are 2 bus routes available:
Bus from Malaga airport to Malaga centre/Malaga centre to Malaga airport and Bus from Malaga airport to Marbella/Marbella to Malaga airport.

Free shuttle transport buses are available between the different terminals at Malaga airport.

Buses between Malaga airport and Marbella (available from Monday to Sunday):

FROM TIMETABLE
Marbella to Malaga Airport 5:30 7:00 9:15 11:00 12:45 14:45 16:30 18:30 20:15 22:15
Malaga Airport to Marbella 6:15 8:00 10:15 12:00 13:45 15:30 17:15 19:30 21:15 23:00

(timetable from 1st of October 2009 to 30th of June 2010. Updated timetables at ctsa-portillo.com (in Spanish))

The bus between Marbella and Malaga Airport takes aproximate 45 minutes.

Taxi

Taxi from Malaga airport to Malaga city or to surrounding towns such as Torremolinos or Benalmadena cost approximately 12 euros. Or further distances like Marbella for about 90 euros.

Car hire

Of course you will use our services. We will meet you at Malaga airport in the arrival lobby.

Gibraltar Airport (GIB)

A good alternative for the holiday maker from Great Britan and Ireland. We deliver your rent a car to Gibraltar. Check with our offices for terms and conditions.

Read more about Gibraltar airport, GIB

Flight informtion for Málaga airport, AGP

Here you can find live flight information for Málaga airport, AGP. International flights and domestic flights. Carrier company details and phone numbers.

Read more about flight information here

Málaga airport arrival information

Whether it is your first arrival to Málaga airport in Spain or your first rental car pickup, you will here find helpful steps how to find us at the Málaga airport arrival. We will be waiting for you in the arrivals in the bar called Golf bar. Follow the steps and images how to find us.