Malaga Airport accounts for 81% of foreign tourists arriving in Andalucía region
The prominence of low-cost airlines makes the gateway to the Costa del Sol the third in the country in terms of international passengers, after Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca
The unstoppable growth of Malaga Airport and the improvement of its air connectivity have made it the main gateway for foreign tourists coming to Andalucía. The monthly report of the Junta's Ministry of Industry and Tourism shows that 81.1% of foreigners who arrive in Andalucía land at Malaga Airport. A total of 13,741,509 passengers have come to the region up to September. Of them, some 11,145,493 entered through Malaga.
The report particularly highlights the role of low-cost airlines in passenger increase both in Andalucía and on the Costa del Sol. Almost eight million of the January-September 2025 foreign passengers in Andalucía flew with a company on the lower cost end of the scale, which represents 15.6% of all arrivals in Spain and 9.6% more than in the same period last year. Of these, 6,127,403 entered through Malaga - an increase of 9.6% compared to 2024. By contrast, traditional or flag carriers transported 2,878,803 passengers to Andalusian airports in these first nine months, with a more moderate increase of 3.5%. Of them, 2.5 million passengers landed in the capital of the Costa del Sol, an increase of 3%.
9.6%
more international arrivals on low-cost airlines in Andalucía and Malaga Airport
The prominence of low-cost airlines makes Malaga Airport the third in the country in terms of international passengers, after Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. In terms of regions, Andalucía is fourth, after Catalonia, the Balearic Islands and Valencia.
The ministry points out that between January and September Spain received 86.3 million international passengers, registering an increase of 5.6% compared to the same period in 2024, with both Andalucía and Malaga showing greater dynamism with a higher average growth. This means nearly 4.6 million more arrivals, with low-cost airlines accounting for 3.4 million of these.
In September, 2.4 million passengers arrived from the UK, accounting for "22.2% of the total flow of arrivals to Spain, with a year-on-year increase of 2.2%". The UK market seems to be popular in Andalucía, Valencia, Murcia and Galicia. However, markets such as Italy and France show a decline. For example, French arrivals have experienced "a significant decline of more than 7%" in Andalucía and the Basque Country.
On the other hand, countries such as the Netherlands make up for the loss, with an increase of 6.5%, mainly in Catalonia, Valencia and Andalucía, each with a share of around 19%.
