Málaga Airport and Marbella property buyers

• Table of contents
• Why Málaga Airport is a major advantage for Marbella property buyers
• The impact of Málaga Airport for property owners
• Málaga Airport’s network in numbers
• Direct access from key buyer markets
• More than a leisure airport
• Málaga Airport’s planned expansion
• If you are considering buying a property in Marbella, contact our team for expert local guidance
• Frequently asked questions about Málaga Airport

Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport (AGP) is far more than the arrival point for summer holidays. It is one of Spain's busiest and most important tourist gateways, which allows Marbella to work as a genuine second-home and year-round residential destination.

According to Panorama’s Marbella Property Market Report, foreign buyers represented 63.14% of the Marbella market. For such an internationally led market, reliable access is a big part of what makes the Costa del Sol so desirable.

Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport is around 50 kilometres from central Marbella, with the journey typically taking about 40 minutes by car via the AP-7, depending on traffic. That proximity is one of the reasons Marbella remains so practical for international owners.

Direct flights from cities including London, Manchester, Dublin, Amsterdam, Stockholm, Frankfurt, Paris and New York make it easier to use a Marbella home regularly. Owners can come for a long weekend without losing a day to connections.

This matters particularly to buyers who divide their time between countries. Many continue to run businesses, maintain family commitments or keep homes elsewhere in Europe, while spending extended periods in Andalucía.

Discover Why Marbella is ideal for remote work in Europe.

Málaga Airport has served as the Costa del Sol’s international gateway for more than a century, having first opened its doors in 1919. Since then, it’s grown far beyond the profile of a seasonal resort airport.

In 2025, the airport handled a record 26,760,549 passengers, an increase of 7.4% on the previous year. At the time of writing, Aena, Spain’s main airport operator, lists 162 destinations served by 64 airlines from Málaga Airport.

The depth of Málaga Airport’s network matters as much as the headline destination total. British buyers continue to form a prominent part of Marbella’s international buyer base, alongside purchasers from across Europe and further afield.

Direct connections to London, Manchester, Birmingham, Bristol, Edinburgh, Glasgow and other regional airports mean many UK-based owners can reach Marbella without routing through the capital or adding a domestic connection.

Beyond the UK, Málaga Airport links the Costa del Sol with key cities across Ireland, Northern Europe and the continent. It also has a seasonal non-stop connection with New York/Newark (EWR), operated by United Airlines, giving Marbella more direct access to the United States than many people may expect.

Málaga Airport is closely associated with leisure travel, understandably so. Aena classifies 64% of its 2025 passenger traffic as leisure-related. Yet its wider passenger profile tells another part of the story: 10% of journeys were for business, while 18% related to visits to friends and relatives — a reflection of the Costa del Sol’s increasingly year-round international community.

The airport also reinforces the connection between Marbella and Málaga city, which has developed into a growing centre for international business, technology and entrepreneurship. For company owners and professionals, this accessibility makes it easier to combine a Mediterranean home with an active working life.

Read more in our article on Why Málaga was named one of the best cities to live and work.

Málaga Airport’s role is set to become even more important in the years ahead.

Its major refurbishment and expansion has entered the technical design stage, with plans intended to increase annual capacity to around 36 million passengers. The proposed works include almost doubling the terminal area from approximately 80,000 to 140,000 square metres, creating a new pier for non

Schengen traffic, expanding security areas and adding aircraft contact stands.
The non-Schengen element is particularly relevant. It supports the airport’s ability to manage increasing demand from the United Kingdom, North America and other international markets that require border controls.

The expansion does not guarantee property-price growth on its own. No single infrastructure project can do that. But it strengthens one of the long-term foundations of Marbella’s appeal: reliable, international access.

You might also be interested in: Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport Expansion & Drone-Taxis.