THE Costa del Sol has cemented its status as a budget airline hotspot, with nearly three quarters of international passengers arriving at Malaga Airport this year flying with low-cost carriers.
More than 6.5million international passengers flew into Malaga on budget airlines between January and September, according to the latest report from Spain’s tourism ministry.
The figure accounts for a staggering 72% of international passengers arriving at the airport, with numbers soaring by almost 9% compared with the same period last year.
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Ryanair dominates the low-cost market at Malaga, with Spain’s Vueling and British airline easyJet also among the leading carriers.
The figures underline the importance of budget airlines to Spain’s booming tourism industry, as the country edges towards an unprecedented milestone of 100million foreign tourists in a single year.
British holidaymakers continue to fuel the Costa del Sol’s popularity, with the UK accounting for almost 30% of international travellers visiting the region.
Malaga Airport handled around 670,000 passengers travelling to or from the UK in September alone, making Britain its biggest international market ahead of Germany, Italy and France.
Across Spain, low-cost airlines carried almost 60% of international passengers arriving in September, compared with around 40% travelling with traditional carriers.
Spain has already welcomed more than 70million foreign tourists in the first eight months of the year, putting it on track to reach the 100million milestone by the end of 2026.
Last year, nearly 97million international tourists visited Spain, setting an all-time record that the country is now on course to surpass.
Tourism Minister Jordi Hereu said in July that reaching the landmark was probable if strong growth continued, with forecasts pointing to around 43million foreign visitors during the summer season.
August alone saw more than 12million foreign tourists arrive in Spain – up 9% year on year.
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