Málaga Airport
| Málaga Airport Aeropuerto de Málaga-Costa del Sol |
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|---|---|---|---|
| IATA: AGP – ICAO: LEMG | |||
| Summary | |||
| Airport type | Public | ||
| Operator | Aena | ||
| Serves | Costa del Sol, Gibraltar | ||
| Location | Málaga, Spain | ||
| Hub for | |||
| Elevation AMSL | 16 m / 52 ft | ||
| Coordinates | 36°40′30″N 004°29′57″W / 36.67500°N 4.49917°WCoordinates: 36°40′30″N 004°29′57″W / 36.67500°N 4.49917°W | ||
| Map | |||
| Location within Andalusia | |||
| Runways | |||
| Direction | Length | Surface | |
| m | ft | ||
| 13/31 | 3,200 | 10,500 | Asphalt |
| 12/30 | 2,750 | 9,022 | Asphalt |
| Statistics (2012) | |||
| Passengers (Provisional) | 12,582,191 | ||
| Passenger change 11-12 | |||
| Aircraft Movements | 102,153 | ||
| Movements change 11-12 | |||
| Sources: Passenger Traffic, AENA[1] Spanish AIP, AENA[2] |
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Málaga Airport (IATA: AGP, ICAO: LEMG), officially Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport[3] (Spanish: Aeropuerto de Málaga-Costa del Sol) since June 2011,[4][5] is the fourth busiest airport in Spain[1] after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol. It is 8 km (5.0 mi) southwest[2] of Málaga and 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Torremolinos. The airport has flight connections to over 60 countries worldwide, and over 12.5 million passengers passed through it in 2012.[1]
The airport operates with three terminals. The third terminal adjacent to the previous two opened on 15 March 2010.[6] A second runway opened at the airport on 26 June 2012.[7]
Málaga Airport is the international airport of Andalucia accounting for 85 percent of its international traffic and is the only one offering a wide variety of international destinations. The airport, connected to the Costa Del Sol, has a daily link with twenty cities in Spain and over one hundred cities in Europe. Direct flights also operate to Africa, the Middle East and also to North America in the summer season.
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History and development [edit]
Málaga Airport is one of the oldest Spanish airports that has stayed in its original location.
Málaga Airport opened on 9 March 1919. After test flights, the first scheduled air service from Málaga began on 1 September 1919 when Didier Daurat began regular flights between Toulouse, Barcelona, Alicante, Tangier and Casablanca.[8]
In 1937, Málaga Airport became a military base. Training academies for the Air Force were set up, under the command of Republican Don Abelardo Moreno Miró.
On 12 July 1946, the airport was opened to international civil passenger flights, and was classified as a custom post.
The single runway was extended in the 1960s, and a new terminal was erected in the centre of the site. During this period of development, new navigational equipment was installed, including radar system at the end of the decade, in 1970.
The airport was given its current title in 1965. In 1968 a new passenger terminal was opened. In 1972 a second passenger terminal was opened to cater specifically for non-scheduled traffic. An increase in companies offering package holidays (around 30 by 1965) meant that this type of traffic was providing an increasing proportion of the airport's business. The terminal was very similar to the ones that were built in Palma de Mallorca, Alicante, Ibiza and Girona.
On 30 Novermber 1991, a new passenger terminal opened at the airport which is today's Terminal 2. It was designed by Ricardo Bofill. Almost all services moved their operations to this terminal when it opened with the exception of checking in.
In 1995, the old passenger building was converted into a general aviation terminal, and a new hangar for large aircraft maintenance was built to the north of the airport site. Also constructed was a terminal specifically catering for cargo traffic a year later, along with a hangar for maintenance of big aircraft.
In 1997 an enlargement of the parking of gates was built and fuel systems were added at all the gates.
The airport's domestic departures section once had the head office of Binter Mediterraneo.[9]
In November 2002 a new control tower was built with a height of 54m,.[10]
In 2004 the "Málaga Plan" was started, including ideas for construction of a new terminal, and a new runway.
In November 2005 Monarch opened a base at Málaga.[11] It based an Airbus A320-200 there and operated scheduled services were added to Aberdeen, Blackpool and Newquay. However, due to their routes being unpopular, the base was closed in 2007.
In March 2007, Clickair opened a base at Málaga after announcing a new route to Barcelona. The base has remained since the airline merged with Vueling.
On 26 February 2009, Ándalus Líneas Aéreas started operations from Málaga, but then ceased opeartons in August 2010. This was the only airline that had their main base at Málaga, unti Helitt Líneas Aéreas opened their base in late 2011.
On 16 December 2009, low cost carrier Ryanair announced a base at this airport. This would be their 38th base with an additional 19 routes, bringing Ryanair's total routes from Málaga to 39. The base opened on 23 June 2010. An extra route to Barcelona was announced after the planned opening of their Barcelona base.
On 15 March 2010, the new Terminal 3 was completed. It was opened by King Juan Carlos of Spain, opening to public use the following day.
On 10 September 2010, the suburban railway station at Málaga Airport was opened, providing access to catch a train to Málaga from Terminal 3.
In November 2011, Helitt Líneas Aéreas opened their base at Málaga, operating flights to Melilla Airport. The airline currently operates five routes from Málaga.
On May 17, 2012, The first commercial landings on the second runway took place for the first time. The first aircraft to use it was a PA-28 private jet and the first commercial flight was Transavia Flight HV6115 from Amsterdam, operated by a Boeing 737-800. A total of 44 aircraft landed on the new runway. The runway was placed into service after the airport obtained the security clearance of Civil Aviation on 30 April 2012. The runway officially opened on 26 June 2012 and it was inaugurated by the Spanish Minister of Transport, Ana Pastor.[12] It is located on the other side of the terminals where the current runway is. It is in the direction of 12/30 and it has three rapid exits.[13][14]
Terminals [edit]
Málaga Airport has three terminals, adjacent to each other. There is also a General Aviation Terminal and a Cargo Terminal. The terminals have a total of 164 check-in desks, and have a total of 48 boarding gates of which 26 have airbridges. Although certain airlines check-in at certain terminals, all flights leave from Terminal 3.
Terminal 1 [edit]
Terminal 1 (styled as T1) was used for flights to non-Schengen destinations, along with flights to Ceuta and Mellila. On 16 March 2010, flights to non-Schengen destinations moved to Pier C in Terminal 3 and flights to Ceuta and Mellila moved to Pier D, leaving Terminal 1 operating no flights. When the new terminal opened, the airline Jet2 checked in their luggage there, but now this is done in Terminal 2. It opened on 30 June 1972.[15] Terminal 1 can be accessed from the Terminal 2 check-in hall, but there is little there as all the shops are closed. However, the terminal 1 baggage hall is still open and some airlines sometimes use it, although they also use another terminal. Air Europa particularly does this.
The terminal is due to be refurbished, and has received new check-in desks, along with a new baggage reclaim carousel. There are four gates, numbered B32, B34, B36 and B38, of which can also be accessed from Terminal 2. However they are rarely used.
The terminal 1 baggage hall was shown in the episode "The Return of the Seven: Part 1" in series 2 of Auf Wiedersehen, Pet.
Terminal 2 [edit]
Terminal 2 (styled as T2) was opened on 30 November 1991, known as the Pablo Ruiz Picasso terminal. The building was designed by architect Ricardo Bofill, and was built to be operated in combination with the pre-existing passenger terminal. It has three floors and a basement, the second floor is for departures and the ground floor is for arrivals. The first floor is used for the lower level for Pier B, and for alleyways leading to arrivals. The basement is for the rental-car pickup desks. To complete the terminal, a building was built for car parking and rental cars, which were built right next to the entrance of the departures and arrivals lounges.[16]
Pier B was used for flights to mainland Europe and the rest of the world while Pier C was used for flights to the UK and Ireland, however some flights destined for the UK and Ireland occasionally used Pier B. The flights to mainland Europe did not apply to Blue Air, as they left from Pier C. Pier B and Pier C are now in Terminal 3 (same building however).
Development work was completed on the terminal in 2008. The original structure leading to Pier C in departures was demolished and relocated, to allow building work for Terminal 3. However, it has now closed and Pier C is now accessed from the new terminal building.
Work in the terminal had to be done before the new terminal opened. Because terminal 1 was due to close, all of the gate numbers had to be changed. The only gate that kept its original gate number was B16. The last flight to use the original gate numbers, was an Aer Lingus flight to London Gatwick.
When the new terminal opened, Terminal 2 changed. The arrivals waiting area was closed to allow passengers to transfer themselves between terminals. This area now has three extra baggage carousels. Most of the alleyway was closed off and a new part was created, of which it now has a brand new passport control and a new set of escalators.
Terminal 2 has had renovation since the new terminal has opened. Although work has not finished, the arrivals floor of Terminal 2 was refurbished in early 2011. There is also currently work on the old shopping area, currently closed off. The total cost for all of the refurbishment work is 2,567,700 euros.[17]
Terminal 3 [edit]
Terminal 3 (styled as T3) is a new terminal at Málaga Airport. Plans for construction started in 2001 and construction started in 2004. It was expected to open in 2008 but it was delayed to 2009. It was opened on 15 March 2010 by King Juan Carlos.[18]
The new terminal building at Málaga Airport has been designed by the architect Bruce S Fairbanks. The terminal was built to increase tourism around the Costa Del Sol, and to expand the airport due to increasing number of passengers. The cost of developing the new terminal is 410 million euros. It is adjacent to Terminal 2 and has an area of 250,000m², which is more than double the size of Terminal 2. It has 86 check in counters, numbered 301 to 386, 20 new boarding gates, twelve of which will have airbridges and 12 baggage reclaim carousels, nine European Union, two non-European Union and one special baggage reclaim carousel.
It has the largest food hall in Europe and the first National Geographic store in the world.[19] The shops also include a Starbucks, a Burger King with a Whopper Bar in, a Pizza Hut and an Adidas shop.[20] The terminal has more than doubled capacity to 30 million passengers or 9,000 an hour, is expected to double the number of flights and the 12,813,764 passengers handled during 2008,[21] and this will increase further when the new runway is complete.
It consists of three piers or docks: Pier B (with 13 gates, 7 with airbridges), Pier C (with 10 gates, 7 with airbridges) and Pier D (with 20 gates, 12 with airbridges). Pier B is used for non-European traffic, Pier C is used by non-Schengen Traffic and Pier D is used for Schengen Traffic. Flights to the UK and Ireland use both Pier B and Pier C, of which these piers used to be in Terminal 2. When the new apron opens, a further 8 gates in Pier D will be opened.
Although flights from Terminal 1 were bound for non-Schengen destinations, along with flights to Ceuta and Mellia, some airlines such as Luxair occasionally left from Terminal 1, using their Embraer and Bombardier. Usually the Small Embraer planes use Terminal 1 because the airbridges in Terminal 2 are too big for them. This used to operate in Terminal 2 and now operates in Terminal 3. They don't use Terminal 1 or 2 anymore, and now the aircraft depart from gates with a bus transfer, as the gates are still too big for the aircraft. This does not apply to Flybe as it only applies to airlines that use Terminal 3
Video about the new terminal is at TVSpain.tv, and Aena.es.[22][23]
General aviation terminal [edit]
The general aviation terminal at Málaga Airport (also known as the private aviation terminal) is located next to the N-340 motorway, and close by runway 31. The terminal was formed from the old passenger terminal building, and has since been renewed and refurbished. It was opened on 29 January 1968.
The terminal is used for private jets.
Cargo terminal [edit]
The cargo terminal was opened in 1996, with 16 docking bays for road transport vehicles.[24] It has an area of 5,700 m2 (61,000 sq ft) and contains four cold-storage rooms, a vault for valuable merchandise, and an area for hazardous and radioactive materials.[25] It is located in the north of the airport, named "Carga Aena" in Spanish.[24]
Airlines and destinations [edit]
Other plans, works and developments [edit]
Car park [edit]
A new car park has been built with seven floors and 2,500 parking spaces, with underground parking for 66 coaches.[30] A long stay car park is also expected to open in mid 2010.[31]
Fire station [edit]
There is due to be a new building for the airport's fire service, located on the new runway. The airport will then have two fire stations, one on each runway.
South power station [edit]
A new south power station will be built to serve both runways, with a surface area of 5,580m²
Statistics [edit]
Passenger numbers at Málaga increased from 6 million in 1995 to 13.6 million passengers in 2007, dropping to 12.8 million in 2008. There was a further 9.3% reduction in 2009 with passenger numbers falling to around 11.6 million and the number of aircraft movements reducing by 13.6% to 103,536. However passenger numbers in 2010 increased to 12 million, and increased again in 2011 to 12.8 million and decreased slightly to 12.5 million in 2012.[1] Cargo operations are decreasing each year.
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| Updated: 12 January 2013.[1] 2012 data Provisional |
| Passengers | Aircraft movements | Cargo (tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9,443,872 | 92,930 | 9,920 |
| 2001 | 9,932,975 | 98,174 | 9,365 |
| 2002 | 10,429,439 | 101,519 | 8,670 |
| 2003 | 11,566,616 | 110,220 | 6,837 |
| 2004 | 12,046,277 | 116,047 | 6,811 |
| 2005 | 12,669,019 | 123,959 | 5,493 |
| 2006 | 13,076,252 | 127,776 | 5,399 |
| 2007 | 13,590,803 | 129,698 | 5,828 |
| 2008 | 12,813,472 | 119,821 | 4,800 |
| 2009 | 11,622,443 | 103,536 | 3,400 |
| 2010 | 12,064,616 | 105,631 | 3,064 |
| 2011 | 12,823,117 | 107,397 | 2,992 |
| 2012 (provisional) | 12,582,191 | 102,153 | 2,711 |
| Source: Aena Statistics[1] | |||
Route statistics [edit]
| Rank | City | Passengers | Top Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 789,706 | British Airways, EasyJet, Monarch, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways | |
| 2 | 394,112 | EasyJet, Jet2, Monarch, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways | |
| 3 | 360,129 | Aer Lingus, Germania, Ryanair, Thomson Airways | |
| 4 | 350,948 | Air Europa, EasyJet, Europe Airpost, XL Airways France | |
| 5 | 280,165 | EasyJet, Titan Airways, Ryanair | |
| 6 | 267,585 | Arkefly, Europe Airpost, Transavia, Vueling | |
| 7 | 255,331 | Monarch, Ryanair, Thomas Cook Airlines, Thomson Airways | |
| 8 | 252,617 | Brussels Airlines, Jetairfly, Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium | |
| 9 | 219,467 | EasyJet, Ryanair | |
| 10 | 248,468 | Jet2, Monarch, Ryanair |
The busiest routes are those within the EU, particularly to and from the United Kingdom and Ireland. According to Aena, the busiest route is to London Gatwick followed by Dublin and Manchester.[32] Other busy routes are to London Stansted, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Amsterdam, Brussels, Cork and Copenhagen.
Airline Operations [edit]
This is a table of airlines at Málaga Airport operating the most flights:[33]
The airport is used by people visiting Gibraltar, since more airlines cover this airport than Gibraltar Airport.[citation needed] However Gibraltar Airport is also getting a major expansion.[34] Access [edit]Only one road accesses the airport – the MA-21 (Torremolinos–Málaga). A new access is planned to be opened in November 2011.[35] Transportation hub [edit]Málaga Airport now has a transportation hub outside the new terminal 3 that can be accessed from the new terminal building from both the arrivals and departures levels. There is an arrivals floor and a departures floor. The bus station and the suburban train station can be reached from the arrivals level, and both car parks can be reached from the departures level down a long covered walkway. Bus station [edit]There is a bus station located underground at the airport. It can be reached from the arrivals level of the transportation hub or from arrivals in terminal 3, which can be accessed from all terminals. There is also a bus stop outside the cargo terminal. Public transport information [edit]Following a collaborative agreement between the Málaga Metropolitan Transport Consortium, the Malaga Transport Company (EMTSAM) and the Portillo Avanza bus company, a new public information and bus ticket sale point is now in operation at Málaga Airport. Located near the exit from terminal T3 (Arrivals), it will enable tourists and local residents alike to obtain the Billete Único (Málaga Metropolitan Travel Card), which offers significant discounts on the inter-urban bus services managed by the Málaga Metropolitan Transport Consortium, and to purchase both the bus card used within the city of Málaga itself and tickets for direct Portillo Avanza bus connections from the airport to the Costa del Sol (Marbella, Estepona and, in the near future, Algeciras). The new service will be open to the public from 8:30 to 20:00 without interruption. Tourists arriving at the airport will now be able to take public transport from the airport to their final destinations and get around the city of Málaga and other locations on the Costa del Sol in convenient, practical and economical fashion without having to depend on private vehicles.[36] The following bus services operate from Málaga Airport:
Suburban train line [edit]The airport has opened an underground station for Cercanías Málaga commuter trains, connecting it with Málaga and providing this way better communications with the city center.[37] The station opened on 10 September 2010.[38] Málaga's new suburban train line has opened, providing access from the arrivals area of terminal 3. Trains run every 20 minutes between Málaga City and Fuengirola via Málaga Airport. The line is to be extended to Marbella, but this will not be complete until 2013 at the earliest. Works are stopped waiting for financial help from the European Investment Bank. The line also may be extended to Algeciras, but this has yet to be confirmed.[39] Car parks [edit]Before the new terminal opened the airport had only one large car park, called P2. The airport now has two, with 3,700 spaces (1,200 in P2, 2,500 in the new P1). All outdoor spaces now have covers over them.[40] They can also be reached by the transportation hub. Accidents and incidents [edit]
Public attractions [edit]There is a front section of an Iberia EC-CGO McDonnell Douglas DC-9 at the southern part of the airport, installed in December 2002. It is not far from the General Aviation Terminal. Outside the main car park, there is a Cessna 421B Golden Eagle, registered EC-FPA preserved on plinths. It was installed in 2011. See also [edit]
References [edit]
External links [edit]
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