Malaga airport's Terminal 2 to be completely remodelled at a cost of 8.4 million euros

Few passengers at Malaga airport can have failed to notice that although Terminals Two and Three are adjacent and their check-in areas share the same space, they are very different in appearance.

The airports company Aena has now announced that T-2, which was built 26 years ago, is to be completely remodelled at a cost of 8.4 million euros, to bring it up to the same standard as its more recent neighbour, T-3, which opened in 2010.

In addition to repainting the whole building, the flooring, false ceilings, public lavatories, heating and air conditioning systems are to be replaced and the fire detection system is to be modernised.

In the case of the heating and cooling system, the ten heat pumps and six cold air pumps in the roof area between T-1 and T-2 are almost at the end of their ten-year useable life. As it is becoming increasingly difficult to find replacement parts for them because of their age, they are to be renewed completely.

Toilets

The state of the public lavatories in T-2 have also been a frequent cause of complaint by passengers, especially in the client satisfaction surveys which are carried out from time to time by the airport authority. Many people complained that they looked old and in bad condition. In the staff lavatories the situation was even worse because of unpleasant smells from badly installed pipes. The plans for the remodelling of the terminal include the addition of windows for the staff lavatories, to improve ventilation.

The contract has now been put out to tender and companies have until 15 September to apply, but the works are expected to take 20 months to complete so the reformed terminal will not be finished until late 2019 or early 2020.

Record passenger figures

The works will be carried out in stages, and some may be done at night to avoid as much inconvenience to travellers and staff as possible. Aena says it is impossible to close the terminal while the remodelling is taking place because of the number of passengers who use Malaga airport. In July, two million people passed through the airport and 2017 is expected to be another record-breaking year.

In addition to this major investment in T-2, Aena is also to spend four million euros on improving the parking areas, especially those used by car rental companies and airport staff. This should be completed by early 2019.