Malaga Airport takes second spot in Spain for highest number of delayed flights

Malaga is home to the airport in Spain with the second-highest number of flight delays, according to a new report. The gateway to the Costa del Sol was only beaten by Palma de Mallorca, according to the study by AirHelp, a claims management company which helps to enforce passenger rights.

A total of 3.4 million passengers at Malaga Airport were affected by flight delays and cancellations this high season, the study showed. Aircraft which did not stick to their schedule accounted for 36% of the total that operated in the summer.

According to AirHelp, 14 million passengers were affected by delays or cancellations this summer across all Spanish airports, a 5% increase to last year's high season. However, a worldwide technology outage on 19 July greatly impacted this year's data after a faulty software update from Crowdstrike, which produces antivirus software, affected the Microsoft system to which companies around the world are linked. The incident kept several Spanish companies at a standstill.

"On this one day alone, more than two million passengers had their flights disrupted across Europe," AirHelp said. Some 600 flights were scheduled on the runways at Malaga Airport on that day, with passengers crowding terminals and complaining to staff due to the suspension and long waits of planes. Strikes and weather conditions, such as the floods that occurred at Palma de Mallorca Airport, also caused major problems for air traffic at European airports, AirHelp said.

According to AirHelp, Malaga also leads the way when it comes to the most delayed routes: Malaga to Abu Dhabi Airport. This ranking also includes a flight to Budapest and another to Riyadh airport, the capital of Saudi Arabia. However, Malaga Airport is considered the most punctual when it comes to its connection to Asturias.