New Malaga Airport access charge angers pre-booked transport providers

Tension has increased at Malaga Airport due to the facility's operator Aena introducing a new charge next week that will affect many pre-booked service operators on the Costa del Sol. This includes private hire vehicles with drivers (VTCs), car parking companies and rental vehicle operators. From 20 June, every time one of their vehicles accesses the arrivals terminal area to pick up a traveller they will face an additional cost.

Every single vehicle entering the new passenger collection area will have to pay a fixed 1.11 euro charge. From that moment on, the price will be based on the length of stay. Half an hour will cost 2 euros and a full hour will be 3.80 euros, according to the signage installed by Aena.

As a result, the transport companies are up in arms as the peak summer holiday season gets into full swing. Their message to the airport operator is clear: they are subjected to daily flight delays due to circumstances beyond their control. The sector said their only option is to assume waiting costs or pass then on to the customers, taking into account that they regularly provide a huge number of services.

The new charge has particularly inflamed most of the 2,427 VTCs registered in the province as they must pass through the barrier (except those of Uber, who have 18 spaces close to arrivals for which the company pays at least 25,000 euros per year). Also unhappy are operators of the courtesy shuttle vehicles that pick up the rental car or long-stay parking customers that are not directly on the airport premises.

Aena has said the decision is due to the need to rearrange the car parks to improve vehicle flow and avoid the repetition of jams at the main entrances to the airport with vehicles parked for too long. Regarding prices, Aena stressed that despite it being in a preferential area, the pre-booked transport service providers will still pay less than general users.