Malaga Airport commenced the year 2024 on an encouraging note, echoing its increased performance from the preceding year, with a notable surge in passenger traffic traversing through the gateway to the Costa del Sol. January of 2023 witnessed 1,120,167 passengers passing through its terminals, yet the corresponding month of 2024 surpassed this milestone, reaching a staggering 1,344,443, marking a remarkable growth of 20% compared to the same period the previous year.
This exponential growth rate, double the national average, propelled Malaga Airport to surpass Gran Canaria Airport, claiming the position of the third busiest Spanish airport in terms of passenger volume, as per data from airport operator Aena. Traditionally, the Costa del Sol airport held the fourth position in the network, with Gran Canaria taking precedence during the winter months and Palma de Mallorca dominating the summer season.
It’s noteworthy that the significant surge in passenger numbers experienced by Malaga in January of the previous year foreshadowed a record-breaking year for the airport. The milestone of 20 million passengers was reached in October, culminating in a total of more than 22 million passengers by year-end. Expectations for 2024 are already poised to sustain this upward trajectory and register further growth.
This heightened activity was also evident on the runways of the Costa del Sol airport, witnessing 10,330 flights in operation, a 14.5% increase compared to January 2023. However, in terms of operations, Malaga remains in fourth place within the Aena network, trailing behind Madrid with 31,617 flights, showcasing a 4.2% increase compared to 2023. Following Madrid is Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat with 23,614 flights, marking a 12.8% increase, and Gran Canaria with 11,446 flights, a 3.6% increase.
Aena underscores the robustness of international traffic, highlighting that “the majority of counted passengers traveled on commercial flights, totaling 1,340,008. Among these, 267,904 traveled on aircraft to or from a Spanish city, reflecting a 6.7% increase compared to January 2023. The remaining 1,072,104 opted for international connections, marking a 24% increase.”
Regarding the markets driving this growth, Aena elaborates that the British market leads with 250,185 passengers, followed by the Dutch (94,532), Germans (94,430), Italians (72,821), and French (61,264).
Aircraft Movements in Spain
Aena highlights that “the airports in the Spanish network concluded the first month of 2024 with a record-breaking number of passengers and cargo in January, thus maintaining the upward trend observed throughout much of the previous year.” The airport operator notes that all the airports under its management collectively handled 18,667,212 passengers, marking a 10.3% increase compared to the same month in 2023; managed 165,909 aircraft movements, reflecting a 6% increase over the previous year; and moved 91,752 tonnes of cargo, a substantial 23.1% increase compared to the previous year.
Out of the total passengers passing through Spanish airports in January 2024, approximately 18,601,093 were commercial passengers: 12,144,917 traveled on international flights, marking a 13.2% increase compared to January 2023, while 6,456,176 traveled on domestic flights, reflecting a 5.3% increase over the previous year.