A €1.5 billion, multi-year expansion is set to reshape Málaga Airport—extending terminals, streamlining security and overhauling ground access—signalling a step-change for the Costa del Sol’s main gateway.
What the Málaga Airport expansion includes
Málaga Airport is set for an upgrade that will almost double terminal space from around 80,000 to approximately 140,000 square metres. This will create room for more boarding gates, enlarged check-in and security areas, expanded passport control and a bigger retail and dining area.
The works are designed to lift the airport’s annual handling capacity to at least 36 million passengers, with the configuration of gates and boarding lounges prepared to accommodate even higher passenger numbers as demand grows.
Passenger experience upgrades
Travellers can expect wider security and border-control areas to ease bottlenecks, supported by reworked passenger flows and enlarged arrivals zones. AENA’s programme foresees the introduction of next-generation screening technology across major Spanish airports, with Málaga’s upgraded facilities designed to support these changes. On the ground, additional parking capacity and improved road access are planned to reduce congestion at peak times.
Timeline and key milestones for Málaga Airport’s project
The programme was announced in 2025, and construction is scheduled to start in 2027 and finish by 2031. AENA says the airport will stay fully operational throughout, with works sequenced around active operations.
- 2025: programme announced and technical studies launched to define the execution plan.
- 2027: construction begins, including demolition of Terminal 1 and piers B and C to build a new non-Schengen pier with centralised border control.
- 2027–2031: terminal area expands, security screening capacity rises, departure passport control, and boarding zones. VIP lounges and commercial spaces increase. Airfield and access works add new taxiways, better road links and larger parking facilities.
- 2031: completion and commissioning to support up to 36 million passengers annually.
The bidding and procurement process: who is competing and what comes next
The design-and-consultancy tender to draft the terminal expansion projects closed on 25 September 2025. The base budget is €36.56 million, with a nine-year contract term that runs through development and commissioning of the new terminal. Four joint ventures submitted proposals.
- Viarium Ingeniería with Ayesa
- Typsa with Ghesa and Blas Torres Gutiérrez
- Cemosa with Sener and Fairbanks Arquitectos
- Prointec with Ove Arup and Estudio Lamela
Why Málaga needs more capacity on the Costa del Sol
Aena and Spain’s Ministry of Transport frame the project around sustained passenger growth and pressure on facilities at peak times. Málaga Airport handled almost 25 million passengers in 2024, and demand is expected to keep rising. Current terminals are approaching their operational limits, and queues are building at security and passport control during busy periods.
Climate goals and the Málaga Airport expansion
Acknowledging environmental concerns about increased air traffic, the government and Aena say the investment is framed by DORA III’s sustainability criteria and Aena’s Climate Action Plan. Málaga is currently at Airport Carbon Accreditation Level 3, which mandates quantified emissions cuts and engagement with third parties.
However, Aena has not yet published project‑specific sustainability measures for the Málaga terminal expansion. Meanwhile, decarbonising airport operations reduces on‑site emissions, but aviation’s climate impact is largely driven by aircraft, which are likely to remain the dominant source for the foreseeable future.
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