Walter Finch
MALAGA airport is ‘optimistic’ it will break the 600 flights a day barrier this summer.
The headspinning number would mean 65 flights departing or landing every hour on the airport’s two funways, which is equal to one a minute.
This milestone is anticipated to be reached on Sunday July 14 at the peak of the holiday season, when 577 flights are already scheduled to take place.
With room still for last-minute additions, particularly from private jets, the number could well surpass the 600 mark.
Officials at the airport’s control tower are optimistic about breaking this record, citing the continuous arrival of last-minute flight plans that typically push the numbers higher.
Beyond just the one record day, the entire months of July and August are set to see unprecedented levels of activity, with daily operations consistently topping 500 flights.
Data from the airport suggests that there are days with scheduled operations ranging from 530 to 560 flights.
Last year the busiest days ranged between 400 to 500 flights, illustrating the surging demand in travel to Malaga and the Costa del Sol.
The leap in capacity has been credited to a new traffic control system that has boosted the airport’s ability to handle flights by 41%.
The Midas system, implemented last year, employs an advanced computer program which automatically sequences the order of aircraft as they approach the airport, ensuring they are lined up efficiently for landing.
It also generated precise flight paths for the pilots, helping to ensure that aircraft use the most efficient routes to and from the airport.
The system also reduces the need for communication between pilots and controllers by standardising procedures, which simplifies the controllers’ work and enhances overall safety and efficiency at the airport.
It also takes into account factors such as prevailing winds and assigns aircraft the runway accordingly.
