Travel Guide > Malaga Airport

Malaga Airport‏

If you’re holidaying in the Costa del Sol you are likely to be arriving at Malaga Airport. We’ve compiled this short guide to help answer any questions you may have about the airport. Below you will find information about the location, history, facilities and transport links of Malaga Airport.

Airport Location

Malaga Airport is situated approximately 8km (5 miles) southwest from the central city of Malaga and 5km north of Torremolinos. It is alongside the A7 coastal road which links to the Autopista del Sol motorway which runs to Torremolinos, Benalmadena, Fuengirola, Marbella and Gibraltar offering great connections to the whole of the Costa del Sol.

Malaga Airport is the main flight path for the Costa del Sol and caters for over 12 million passengers each year. It consists of three terminals along and a new runway will be added in 2010. Each Terminal is fully equiped with info desks at arrivals and departures and staff wear mint-green jackets for easy indentification. There is no left-luggage facility at the airport, however there are lost property offices in all terminals.

Airport History

The first registered flights in Málaga were in 1919 when pilot Didier Daurat started to host regular flights between Toulouse, Alicante, Málaga, Tangiers, Barcelona and Casablanca. It was first opened to the international civil passenger flights in 1946 and was classified as a customs post. It consisted of only one runway which was later extended in the 1960s, when a new terminal was also built on the site. In 1970, during a period of development, new navigational equipment was installed, including radar systems.
There has been many different names for Malaga Airport throughout its history. It was not until 1965 when it offically received its current title of Malaga Airport. In 1968, just three years later, a new passenger terminal was opened with the second opening in 1972. It was opened specifically to cater for non-scheduled traffic. During this pierod many travel companies were promoting package holidays which increased the number of cheap flights available to Malaga and provided an increase in the airport's business, this alone is one of the reasons why passenger numbers have increased from levels of around 6 million in 1995 to 12.8 million passengers in 2008!

Transportation Links

There are many different transportation options available at the airport, including the local train station opposite terminal 2 which runs trains to Malaga and Fuenfirola. Buses are available every half hour to Malaga, and every 45 minutes to Marbella (90 mins in winter) the local bus services also cover a wide range of destinations across the Costa del Sol. Taxi parks are located outside of Terminal 1 Arrivals and Terminal 2 departures. Numberous car hire suppliers are also available at the airport.

Airport Accessibility

The airport is accessible for disabled travellers, it is well equipped with ramps, lifts, toilets, reserved parking and seats in waiting areas in all 9 resting points. The green jacketed staff are their to assist those in wheelchairs at all terminals, but if you need to make a special enquiry contact the airport prior to traveling. There are no hotels at the airport, but plenty in the surrounding Malaga area, which are only a short bus journey away.

Airport Facilities

There is a wide range of facilities at the airport including a selection of popular bars, restaurants and fast-food outlets, postal and Internet services for passengers, bank cash points, a pharmacy, various shops and duty free, and a children's play area. These can be found in the Central Plaza in Terminal 1 and Centro Comercial in Departures on the second floor of Terminal 2.

The airport even holds an exhibition hall which shows the work of well-known Malaga-born artists, this work may change from month to month, so ask for details about what’s on if you have the time to spare.  The hall is usually open from 10:00 - 13:30 and 17:00 - 21:00. There is also an airport museum housed in the original terminal, which is around 10 minutes walk away.