Málaga airport nears 25 million passengers. Polish traffic up 30% in October

Málaga-Costa del Sol airport has handled almost 25 million passengers in the first ten months of the year, according to figures from the airport operator Aena reported by Diario Sur and SUR in English. That is close to 1.5 million more than in the same period of 2025, and growth is again coming mainly from international routes, including a sharp rise in traffic to and from Poland.

Key facts

• January–October: almost 25 million passengers, against 23.3 million a year earlier, a rise of 6.4%.
• October alone: 2,696,944 passengers, up 4.7% on October 2025.
• Flights: 18,117 in October, 4% more than a year earlier, with an average of almost 87,000 passengers a day.
• Fastest-growing markets in October: Poland (+30%), Bulgaria (+29%), Latvia (+25.4%) and Hungary (+22.3%).
• Winter season: direct flights to 138 cities, operated by around 50 airlines.

International traffic leads the way

Aena attributes the October increase largely to foreign traffic. In the English translation published by SUR in English, the operator said:

"This upturn was largely due to the continued strength of international traffic."

Over the ten months, international passenger numbers rose by 7.2%, while domestic flights between Spanish airports grew by 2.7%, according to Diario Sur. The paper puts domestic passengers at 3,953,516.

In October, international traffic was up 6.2% on the same month last year. The United Kingdom remained by far the largest market, with 617,030 passengers, followed by Germany (225,809), the Netherlands (162,590) and Italy (145,051).

How Málaga compares

Málaga is Spain's fourth-busiest airport by passenger numbers, and it is growing faster than the national average. Across Aena's Spanish network, October traffic rose by 3.5% to 30,523,291 passengers, with 255,205 aircraft movements, up 3.9%, according to Diario Sur.

For January to October, the network as a whole recorded 287,738,159 passengers, 4% more than in 2025, and 2,408,683 aircraft movements, up 4.4%.

New routes for the winter and 2027

The airport has just started its winter season, which began with the clock change. Ryanair, the largest carrier at Málaga with a 34% market share, has scheduled 82 routes from the airport, Diario Sur reported. Six are new winter connections: Trieste, Venice-Marco Polo and Turin in Italy, Katowice in Poland, Košice in Slovakia and Hamburg in Germany.

EasyJet, in second place, has just marked five years with a seasonal base at Málaga. The airline has announced a new route to Southampton for summer 2027, already on sale, starting on 1 May with two flights a week on Tuesdays and Saturdays. It follows a Bordeaux service that began on 26 October and a Biarritz route due to start on 7 May 2027.

Javier Gándara, easyJet's general manager for southern Europe, told Diario Sur that the five years of the base had allowed the airline to grow in aircraft, routes and jobs, and that it is approaching 50 million passengers carried to and from the city. He said the company remains committed to Málaga and Andalucía and is looking for opportunities throughout the year.

Why it matters on the coast

For residents and visitors, the figures point to a busier airport across the whole year, not just in summer, and a wider choice of direct flights through the winter. The strong growth in Polish traffic and the new Katowice route will be of particular interest to the coast's Polish community.

Passengers who want to check routes and airport information can consult Aena, which publishes monthly traffic statistics for Málaga and the rest of its network.