Top Malaga Airport Statistics: Fascinating Trends & Numbers
Welcome to our page dedicated to fascinating Malaga Airport statistics. Whether you’re just curious about Malaga Airport or someone interested in aviation trends, you’ll find some curious insights and surprising data here. Discover yearly passenger numbers, rankings for international flights, and all the various ups and downs of Malaga Airport through time.
Malaga Airport Passenger Statistics 2024 (so far)
Every quarter, AENA, the Spanish airport authority, releases new statistics for Malaga Airport. So far, in the first quarter of 2024, Malaga Airport experienced a huge surge in activity. It welcomed more than 4.5 million passengers and 32,569 flights. This marked a considerable increase of 21.6% in passengers and 14.3% in flights. The spike was driven by a mix of domestic and international travel, with nearly 879,000 passengers navigating national Spanish routes and a 25.4% jump in international travel. The UK topped the international traffic charts, followed closely by Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, and France.
Malaga Airport Passenger Statistics – Previous Years
2023 22,344,373 passengers (+21.06% difference from the previous year)
2022 18,457,194 passengers (+107.98%)
2021 8,874,635 passengers (+71.93%)
2020 5,161,636 passengers (-74.01% decrease due to Covid pandemic)
2019 19,858,656 passengers (+4.40%)
2018 19,021,704 passengers (+2.1%)
2017 18,628,876 passengers (+9.5%)
2016 16,672,776 passengers (+15.7%)
2015 14,404,206 passengers (+4.8%)
2014 13,748,976 passengers (+6.4%)
2013 12,925,186 passengers (+2.7%)
2012 12,581,944 passengers (-1.9%)
2011 12,823,117 passengers (+6.3%)
2010 12,064,521 passengers (+3.8% Malaga Airport T3 opened)
2009 11,622,429 passengers (-9.3%)
2008 12,813,472 passengers (-5.7%decrease due to global economic crisis)
2007 13,590,803 passengers (+3.9%)
2006 13,076,252 passengers (+3.2%)
2005 12,669,019 passengers (+5.2%)
2004 12,046,277 passengers (+4.1%)
20 Years of Change: Malaga Airport Highlights
Over the last twenty years, Malaga Airport has experienced a rollercoaster of changes in passenger numbers:
From a modest 12 million passengersin 2004, Malaga Airport enjoyed a steady climb to success…
Until 2008, when the global financial crisis caused Malaga Airport passenger numbers to tumble by more than 5%.
The next major setback was in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic slashed passenger figures by a staggering 74%, dropping them to a mere 5.1 million.
The comeback after the pandemic has been nothing short of spectacular, however. By 2022, the Malaga Airport passenger figures had more than doubled…
And in 2023, the airport was bustling with over 22 million passengers. To put that in perspective, that’s enough people to fill London’s Wembley Stadium roughly 245 times over!
So far, in 2024, Malaga Airport continues to get busier and busier. From 2004 to 2023, Malaga Airport witnessed an impressive 85.49% increase in passenger numbers.
These figures show just how much Malaga Airport reflects the ups and downs of global events, and how our travel habits change over time.
Quick Malaga Airport Timeline
1919: Málaga Airport opens.
1960s: Runway extended, new terminal built
1991: Terminal 2 opens
2002: New control tower built
2004: “Malaga Plan” begins for new terminal and runway
2005: Old terminal demolished for expansion
2009: Ryanair establishes a base at the airport
2010: Terminal 3 and suburban railway station open
2012: Second runway becomes operational
2018: Scandinavian Airlines Ireland opens a base
2020: EasyJet announces seasonal base opening
2024: AENA announces plans for Terminal 3 expansion or maybe even building a new Terminal 4
Malaga Airport: Busiest International Routes
Here are the latest statistics we have on Malaga Airport’s most popular international routes, listed in order of passenger volume. Note that these figures are based on 2022 statistics because the 2023 statistics are not yet fully confirmed by AENA.
London-Gatwick: 885,608 passengers
Dublin: 644,495 passengers
Amsterdam: 643,655 passengers
Copenhagen: 540,749 passengers
Manchester: 534,118 passengers
Stockholm-Arlanda: 473,044 passengers
Brussels: 470,128 passengers
Paris-Orly: 397,094 passengers
London-Luton: 381,610 passengers
Oslo-Gardermoen: 364,574 passengers
These figures highlight Malaga Airport’s role as a crucial way for European travellers to reach the Costa del Sol.
Malaga Airport: Busiest Domestic Routes
Here are the latest statistics on the most popular routes to and from Malaga Airport to the rest of Spain, ranked by passenger volume. Note that these figures are based on 2022 statistics because the 2023 statistics are not yet fully confirmed by AENA.
Barcelona: 778,527 passengers
Madrid: 527,212 passengers
Palma de Mallorca: 332,194 passengers
Bilbao: 277,521 passengers
Melilla: 219,240 passengers
Gran Canaria: 200,084 passengers
Tenerife-North: 179,598 passengers
Santiago de Compostela: 169,455 passengers
Ibiza: 133,275 passengers
Asturias: 104,830 passengers
These figures show that Malaga Airport has a significant role in connecting the Costa del Sol with key Spanish cities.
What Is AENA? Why Are Their Malaga Airport Statistics Important?
Spanish airport statistics are meticulously compiled by AENA (Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea), the Spanish government-owned corporation that manages airports and air navigation in Spain. AENA is the world’s largest airport operator in terms of passenger numbers. The statistics provided by AENA offer important insights into passenger flows, flight operations and overall airport activity. This data is very important because it helps AENA to improve airport services, infrastructure and passenger travel experiences.
Malaga Airport’s Impact
Malaga Airport is very important to the Andalusian region and to Spain’s tourism:
Economic Impact: Malaga Airport significantly contributes to the local economy. It generates employment for thousands of people and drives tourism on the Costa del Sol.
Technology: Malaga Airport has embraced technological advancements for national security and sustainability. Such as automated check-in kiosks, biometric identification for security clearance and sustainable initiatives like solar panels and electric ground handling transportation.
Customer Service: Malaga Airport has been recognised for its exceptional customer service, receiving awards and accolades for its facilities, cleanliness and commitment to providing passengers with a pleasant and efficient travel experience. In 2023, Malaga Airport was officially included in the ‘best in the world ranking’, a list which consists of 200 airports around the world.
The Future of Malaga Airport Looks BIG!
In response to record-breaking passenger numbers, Malaga Airport is gearing up for expansion. AENA, the airport authority, has plans to either increase the capacity of Terminal 3 or construct a new Terminal 4. It’s going to take a while to decide and get all the approvals. But the goal is to make sure the airport can handle even more passengers in the future. This is all happening because more and more people are choosing to fly to the Costa del Sol for their holidays. So, the airport needs to grow to keep up with everyone’s travel plans.
In Conclusion: What Do Malaga Airport Statistics Tell Us?
We can now see that Malaga Airport is not just a gateway to the Costa del Sol, but an important hub that connects millions of travellers every year. Whether Spanish nationals, tourists, foreign residents, or people just passing through on connecting flights, Malaga Airport’s growth has been phenomenal – despite things like the Covid pandemic. With record-breaking passenger numbers and plans for expansion in the works, one thing is clear: Malaga Airport will only carry on growing!
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