Malaga airport’s second runway opened

Wednesday, 27 June 2012 09:50

Written by Editor

Development Minister Ana Pastor opened Malaga airport’s second runway – which almost doubles the airport’s capacity from 35 to 65 landings and take-offs –on Tuesday, June 26th. Together with the T-3 terminal, opened in 2010, the airport can now handle 9,500 passengers an hour (30 million a year, up from 12.8 million last year). Work started on the runway in 2007 and it cost €407 million to build. It is 2,750m long, 45 metres wide, has a 3,090m taxiing lane, and will be able to cope with latest generation planes such as the Airbus 380 and the Boeing 747-700. To make room for the runway, the Málaga-Fuengirola train line went underground and the course of the Guadalhorce river was diverted for 1.5 km.  A new fire station has been built to service both runways.

Málaga is now the fifth airport in Spain with two or more runways, after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona El Prat, Palma de Mallorca and Gran Canaria. For the moment, during the high season it will be used “on demand”, that is, the days when tourist traffic is at its highest.