Cristina Hodgson
SOME 100 daily flights are to land at Malaga Airport in July, recovering 75% of last summer’s routes.
In July last year it was possible to fly directly from Malaga to some 140 Spanish and international airports.
A total of 15,887 flights landed and took off last July, averaging 512 a day.
The first week of July will kick-start the high tourist season on the Costa del Sol.
Most airlines reopening their routes will do so at the start of the month, coinciding with the re-opening of many Costa del Sol hotels.
Airlines have continued to incorporate or cancel flights every day due to a lack of demand and availability of staff.
Many employees in Spain are still on the Temporary Employment Regulation (ERTE) schemes.
AENA, Spain’s public airport management company, normally signs off its official summer season programme by the end of June.
In July 2019 last year, 2.2 million passengers flew into Malaga Airport, a figure that is expected to dwindle to just 435,000 this year.
The estimated 100 daily flights are one fifth of the number of flights from last summer.
On AENA’s website, today there are 16 flights scheduled to arrive at Malaga from Bournemouth, Melilla, Bristol, Santiago, Ceuta, Barcelona, Bucharest, Milan, Dublin, Rotterdam, Edinburgh, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca and London.
Malaga Airport has made several operational changes to adapt to the regulations of the coronavirus.
The check-in of all flights has been conducted at counters 201 to 265, while security control and boarding takes place in terminal 2.
All shops and restaurants have been closed except for the pharmacy, leaving only vending machines.
The VIP lounge and Meet & Assist and Fast Lane services have been closed.
The express car park remains open with the general parking fee and the general aviation car park.
Lost and Found, luggage carts and baby seats have been temporarily suspended.
