Malaga Airport will double in size with €1.5 billion upgrade

Malaga Airport is preparing for a number of changes for Costa del Sol visitors, including more UK flights and faster passport controls. A larger terminal will also be built..

Malaga Airport is set for a massive €1.5 billion expansion that will almost double the size of its main terminal and increase capacity to 36 million passengers a year.

The upgrade is to deal with the rising number of passengers, especially those from the UK as well as other countries outside of the EU’s travel zone.

For British expats, and those who travel frequently to the UK, there will be an entirely new section dedicated to non Schengen flight.

This means that the passport control zone will be much bigger and more centralised for UK arrivals as well as departures.

The space for passport control at departure will be increased by over 500 percent, which is expected to result in shorter queues when peak holidays are on.

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The size of the security screening areas will double.

In the next four years, waiting areas and boarding areas at airports for non Schengen passengers are expected to grow nearly four-fold.

Simple: travellers can expect more space, less congestion and a smoother path from the check-in area to the gate of departure.

The terminal will grow from 80,000 to 140,000 square meters.

Terminal 1 and two older piers are being replaced with a modernized design.

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The airport will adopt an innovative U-shaped layout to improve passenger flow.

Shops, cafés and restaurants will increase in size, with commercial space expanding by more than 40 per cent.

There will be an increase of over 40% in the number of VIP lounges, which will offer more comfort to regular flyers.

The airfield will have new taxiways to make it easier for aircraft to move between the runway and terminal.

The building will have improved access to the road, better drop-off areas, and more parking.

Aena’s goal is to make the airport experience more efficient and comfortable, as Costa del Sol continues attracting record numbers of visitors from abroad.

It will be the biggest change to Malaga Airport’s terminal since Terminal 3 was opened in 2010.

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