Airlines have progressively introduced new connections, extending the aerodrome's reach beyond Europe and America. The focus has shifted towards Asia and the Arabian Peninsula, with the opening of routes to these key markets.
During the summer season, flights operate to Istanbul (Turkish Airlines), Doha (Qatar Airways), Bahrain (Gulf Air), Abu Dhabi (Etihad Airways), Kuwait (Kuwait Airways), and to Riyadh (Saudi Arabian Airlines and Riyadh Air). The new Saudi airline, Riyadh Air, announced ticket sales for its Riyadh-Málaga connections until September 8, 2026, with three weekly frequencies, responding to the demand for leisure routes.
The flight offerings from Málaga include destinations such as Doha (Qatar), Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates), Bahrain, Kuwait, Riyadh (Saudi Arabia), Istanbul (Turkey), and Tel Aviv (Israel). Qatar Airways maintains the route to Doha year-round, with three weekly flights in winter, connecting to over 170 international destinations from Hamad Airport.
Gulf Air, the airline of Bahrain, offers direct flights with special fares and connections to numerous Asian destinations such as Maldives, Mumbai, Delhi, Manila, Dubai, or Shanghai, as well as cities in India and Nairobi. Turkish Airlines has operated its direct route to Istanbul since April 2011.
The route map also extends to Morocco, with routes to Casablanca, Marrakech, Fez, Rabat, Tangier, and Tétouan, operated by companies such as Royal Air Maroc, Air Arabia Maroc, Ryanair, or easyJet. This extensive offering consolidates Málaga airport as a key entry point in southern Europe for travelers from the Maghreb, Middle East, and the Gulf countries.
