Another record year expected for Malaga airport and tourism on the Costa del Sol
Flight schedules are always a good way of measuring tourism prospects for the Costa del Sol, and 2017 looks like being another record year as the airlines which operate to and from Malaga have put 15.5 million seats on sale for flights from now until the end of October. This is two million more than last year.
Salvador Moreno, the director of Malaga Airport, says the forecasts are excellent. He also points out that the number of seats available last year were already 15 per cent more than in 2015.
A total of 52 airlines operate to and from Malaga, and by the end of last year 16.6 million passengers had used the airport. In 2015 there were 13.7 million, which gives an indication of the growth in activity. This summer there will be 89,500 flights, 11.5 per cent more than last year, linking the province with 126 destinations worldwide. This year four more destinations have been added, including Tel Aviv, and in total the companies are operating 242 routes.
Salvador Merino was reluctant to predict whether more than 18 million passengers were likely to use the airport this year, because there are many factors which can influence demand. Generally, however, 2017 is expected to be another record year for Malaga airport, and it has got off to a flying start: 1,782,303 people have already travelled on 14,650 flights in January and February.
Of the 242 routes this year, 210 are in Europe, although there is also a rapidly increasing demand for the USA and Canada.source surinenglish