Malaga airport: everything you need to know

Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport is becoming an increasingly popular destination for passengers from all over the world. Its wide variety of services and renovated infrastructure make it a great alternative for travellers to Spain.

In today’s article, we bring you a guide to all the possibilities this airport has to offer. Let’s take off!

General Information about Malaga Airport

Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport is located in the district of Churriana and is 8 kilometres southwest of the centre of Malaga.

It is considered to be the most important airport in Andalusia (with a total of 22.3 million passengers 161684 flights in 2023) and the fourth most important at national level, surpassed only by Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, Barcelona-El Prat Airport and Palma de Mallorca Airport.           

Like the rest of the Spanish airports, Malaga Airport is managed by the company AENA.

Name and Airport Code

Although it is commonly known as Malaga Airport, its full name is actually Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport.

According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport can be identified as AGP. Following the ICAO regulations (more specific and for technical aviation operations), Malaga Airport has the code LEMG.

Malaga Airport Location

The full address of Malaga Airport is Avenida del Comandante García Morato s/n, 29004 Malaga, Andalusia Spain.

As previously mentioned, it is located in the district of Churriana, Malaga. Despite this, the proximity of towns on the Costa del Sol makes it very convenient to travel from Malaga airport to any point on the Costa del Sol. Renting a car from the airport can be a great option for you to travel to any point in a comfortable and easy way.

The history of Malaga Airport until today

The origins of Malaga Airport date back to 1919, when a Salmson 2A aircraft landed on the ‘El Rompedizo’ plot, located near the airport. In the same year, Malaga was part of the first air route in Spain, linking Toulouse-Barcelona-Alicante-Malaga-Casablanca.

In the 1960s, the airport was redesigned with a new terminal and extensions. In 1965, it was renamed Malaga Airport, and in 1968 another new terminal was inaugurated. Expansion continued with the Ruiz Picasso Terminal (Terminal T2) in 1991 and Terminal T3 in 2010, increasing its capacity to over 9,000 passengers per hour. Today, the airport has modern facilities (including a second runway in 2012), although further extensions are planned for T3 due to the large number of daily passengers.

Facilities and Services in Malaga Airport

Malaga airport is made up of 5 terminals. The General Aviation Terminal and the Cargo Terminal are closed to commercial flight traffic, as they are used for private flights (in the first case) and freight transport, in the second case.

This leaves 3 terminals for commercial use.

Terminal 3 of Malaga Airport

Terminal 3 of Malaga Airport is located to the north of the site. It is built on 4 floors and has a surface area of more than 250,000 m2. It can be accessed directly from T2.

Floor 1

Floor 1 is the departure hall and security checkpoints. Passengers with only hand baggage and boarding pass and those who have previously checked in their baggage at T2 pass through this level.

On this floor you will also find the check-in desks for flights from Schengen countries (numbered 301 to 362 and 363 to 386) as well as some of the boarding gates located in Concourse C (gate C31 to C40) and Concourse D (gates D42 to D68).

Other services that can be found on this floor include some self-service check-in machines for airlines such as Iberia and Norwegian, the Police and currency exchange offices.

Floor 0

When landing at Malaga Airport, passengers proceed to the main Arrivals area in Terminal 3, Floor 0. Here they must go through passport and customs control (if arrived from a non-Schengen country) collect their luggage from one of the 11 baggage belts and manage any lost luggage. In addition, the P0 floor offers a variety of services such as a showroom, airport and tourist information, catering and shopping areas.

When you leave Terminal 3 at floor O you will just in front of the arrival hall see the bus stop for the local bus transportation company and a bit further ahead the local train station Renfe.  The courtesy bus stop for car hire companies are behind the local train station.

Floor 2

Floor 2 offers a VIP lounge, shops and restaurants and unlimited free WiFi.

Floor -1

Level -1 of Terminal 3 at Malaga Airport has a bus station for tour operators and various methods of transport

Terminal T2 Pablo Ruiz Picasso of Málaga Airport

Terminal T2 at Malaga-Costa del Sol Airport, also known as Terminal Pablo Ruiz Picasso, is located between terminals T1 and T3, which are connected internally. The building consists of three main floors (P-1, P0, P1).

Terminal T2 does not have its own arrivals hall; passengers must exit through the arrivals hall of terminal T3.

Floor 1

Floor 1 is the departures hall where the check-in desks are located (numbers 201 to 265). It also has ticket sales offices for the airlines operating in T2. Access to the boarding area is through the security filter on this floor, although sometimes the filter on T3, floor 1, is used. The boarding gates at Concourse B are distributed over three levels (Floor 1, Mezzanine and Floor 0).

Floor 0

The P0 floor is mainly dedicated to baggage reclaim, with 11 carousels available. It includes passport and customs control depending on the origin of the flight. Additional services on this floor include toilets, PRM meeting points, currency exchange and limited free WiFi.

Terminal T1

Terminal T1 is located in the south, and is connected to T2. It is closed to the public, although it can be opened at peak passenger activity. Its use is for private flights and general aviation flights. It has no boarding gates and on floor 0 is the National Police station and on floor 1, a departures hall and check-in desks.

We hope all this information has answered your questions for your next trip to the Costa del Sol. For more details and answers to frequently asked questions, click here. Málaga Airport is waiting for your visit!