Malaga Airport is fourth-placed in Spain for highest number of direct connections: here we list them all

Malaga Airport is already bursting at the seams in terms of passenger traffic and takeoff and landing operations on its runways. But one of the most impressive steps forward is the level of connectivity it has achieved, which places it as the fourth airport in Spain with the most direct flight connections.

In the midst of peak summer season, this infrastructure , which appears to breaks new records every month in its 105-year history, has attracted the interest of 62 airline companies connecting the Costa del Sol with 157 destinations around the world, according to Aena data. It is a figure surpassed only by Madrid and Barcelona airports, which have connections to 218 destinations, and Palma de Mallorca, from where non-stop flights to 194 cities are available on routes currently operated by 77 airlines.

The other top 10 best connected airports in Spain include: Alicante (139 connections); Gran Canaria (117); Tenerife Sur (102); Valencia (101); Ibiza (88); Seville (76); Lanzarote (74).

Malaga Airport had already reached a record in 2023, with 151 connections. Another three were added in 2024. Despite these upward trends, not all airports can support such high operational activity. For example, Seville had to decrease its connections this summer, going from the 80 last year to 76.

What is more important than the number of connections, however, is the ability of each facility to diversify and expand routes to new countries and more distant destinations. One important example and a sign of expansion are the connections to key hubs in Asia. Malaga Airport's great objective, for example, are direct flights from Andalucía to China or South Korea. In fact, the first pilot trial for a direct connection between the Costa del Sol and Seoul will be carried out by Korean Air in October. The Boeing 777-300ER being used for this operation will offer 291 seats in three classes: first class (eight seats); business (56); and economy (227). Councillor for tourism Jacobo Florido stated that "this connection is the result of the promotional activities carried out over the last two years in South Korea", adding that two of the first four flights to Seoul are already fully booked.

Meanwhile, Malaga already offers two major gateways to Asia through the two flights a day that Turkish Airlines operates from the Costa del Sol all year round and the new permanent year-round Qatar Airways route to Doha.

Squaring the circle

In the case of Malaga Airport, some squaring of the circle is taking place: passenger numbers and flights keep growing, connections are also increasing and the number of countries reached within just a few hours of flight continues to rise, often to strategic destinations for tourism, as they attract passengers with high purchasing power. Malaga has direct flights to North America, including Montreal in Canada and New York in the US.

Experts highlight Malaga for having consolidated routes with the Middle East, such as the summer flights to Abu Dhabi, operated by Etihad Airways; with Kuwait; with Riyadh; and with Tel Aviv.

The Costa del Sol facility also has direct connections with the whole of North Africa, with flights to Tetouan, Tangier, Rabat, Marrakech, Fez and Casablanca. In December, there is a direct flight to Egypt (Luxor airport).

Malaga is an indisputable leader in Andalucía, accounting for 157 of the 294 connections, followed by Seville (76), Almeria (25), Jerez (24), Granada (ten) and Cordoba (two).

Malaga Airport is currently experiencing yet another record year in terms of flights (114,000, with almost 21 million seats) this high season, which started in March and will end in October. Most of the routes are either within Europe (210) or in Spain (31). The UK maintains its dominance as the best connected market.