Easyjet opens five new routes in Malaga and offers 11% more seats this summer

Easyjet continues to expand at Malaga airport. The company's General Manager for Southern Europe, Javier Gándara, has announced that in this high season, which started last Sunday and will last until the end of October, the airline has activated its seasonal base at the Costa del Sol airport for the fifth summer to handle the peak demand experienced during the busiest period for tourism. Specifically, the airline, which is the third largest in terms of passenger volume in Malaga, has increased its capacity by 11%, up to 2.1 million seats, to fly from and to the Costa del Sol to 23 destinations, five more than last year.

Gándara announced that from this base, which will have three aircraft, they are offering new direct connections to Newcastle and Zurich, starting from March 31, with two and three frequencies per week, respectively. Additionally, a route to Rabat was added a day earlier, with two weekly flights. From April 2, they will add a connection to the British city of Leeds, with a weekly frequency, and another to Marrakech starting Friday, April 4, with two weekly flights.

The General Manager of Easyjet highlighted that "Malaga has always been a major commitment. We have been operating for 25 years and want to continue offering affordable and comfortable connections to attractive destinations for both tourism and business travel, making Malaga an essential destination for Europe." He explained that this is the company's third seasonal base in Spain, alongside those in Palma de Mallorca and the recently opened one in Alicante, and assured that having this mode of operation allows them to pursue new destinations beyond connections with UK bases. In this regard, he emphasized the new developments in diversifying markets by betting on Zurich and entering others with great potential such as Morocco. "Without this base, these new routes would not be possible," he stated, claiming the role of airlines as engines of tourism and as means that drive "the industry of happiness," referring to making possible those hugs with families and friends who reunite more frequently thanks to affordable flights.

In a roundtable presentation, which also included Esperanza González, CEO of Tourism and Planning Costa del Sol, and José Carlos Escribano, President of the Chamber of Commerce, Gándara emphasized the company's commitment to the Costa del Sol and its constant trend of growth in passengers and improved connectivity. The Secretary General for Tourism of the Junta, Yolanda de Aguilar, considered the reopening of this base as an important moment "because talking about tourism is talking about jobs and opportunities and that is what we are discussing today."

De Aguilar specified that Easyjet's commitment will create 200 jobs and improve connectivity by offering 23 destinations with direct flights from Malaga this summer. "These routes contribute to the growth of Malaga airport, which needs to think about expanding its facilities, especially the runways," she stated, bringing up a topic that other participants at the event also commented on. Gándara reminded that airports are financed by the airport fees paid by airlines and travelers. "I am surprised by the political discourse trying to make it seem like they are financed by everyone's taxes," he stated, explaining that Aena will begin rounds of contact with companies to discuss the new Airport Regulation Document (DORA III) that will be implemented for the 2027-2031 period. "We will discuss the needs of Malaga airport and others in the network. In the case of Costa del Sol, it operates efficiently, although it is strained at certain times and days. It is important to plan for the medium and long term because the time these actions require is not short, although we are more in favor of optimizing existing airfields. Now it will be time to define the case of Malaga," he detailed.

In this line, the President of the Chamber of Commerce of Malaga emphasized that a tourist destination is valued by its infrastructure, and the airport is crucial. He noted that year after year, passenger and flight forecasts have been surpassed, closing 2024 with the historic figure of more than 25 million travelers when the maximum capacity of these facilities is 30 million, and he called for "planning today so that the development of the project is done in time and form before reaching that limit. It is necessary to take the challenge of improving the airport because time is running and the airport's growth will soon reach that maximum anticipated." For her part, González stressed the unstoppable growth of this infrastructure, which is the gateway to international tourism in Andalusia, and considered necessary the planning of that expansion in the medium term.

Forecasts

The General Manager of Easyjet in Southern Europe and also President of the Airline Association (ALA) has advanced that the expectations for the summer "are good. In fact, we have scheduled 11% more seats to fly from and to Malaga." Additionally, he mentioned that they expect the planes to be at 90% occupancy. However, he pointed out as a consideration the fact that new requirements for British travelers, who make up 30% of the total at Malaga airport, will come into effect, which may generate queues if there is not an adequate security force device. "We have to ensure that the passage of these travelers is as quick as possible," he specified.

Furthermore, Escribano stated that Holy Week, which is a major indicator of the summer, is looking promising. "Holy Week, still pending the weather, comes with good occupancies and we expect a high season with good figures. The summer is consolidated. Except for the impact of some geopolitical issue, it seems that the horizon is clear. Although experience also tells us that Spanish destinations become a refuge in times of uncertainty. The important thing is to attract a traveler with higher purchasing power rather than betting on volume," he highlighted. For her part, González confirmed these expectations and advanced that she trusts that "we will surpass the data of 2024."