Unofficial guide — not affiliated with Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport.

AGP Málaga AirportCosta del Sol Airport transfers
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AGPBefore you fly

AGP departures

T3 security for everyone, T2 check-in for Ryanair & easyJet — and when to show up for your flight.

Departing Málaga is a two-terminal dance with one rule that matters: wherever you check in, you clear security in T3. Get that right and the rest — piers, gates, timing — falls into place.

Live departures board

The departures flow, step by step

  1. Arrive at the right terminal. T3 for most airlines; T2 for Ryanair and easyJet check-in. Hand-luggage-only passengers with a boarding pass can go straight to T3 security from either terminal.
  2. Check in / bag drop. 164 desks across the complex; screens show which rows serve your flight. Bag-drop queues move far faster than full check-in queues.
  3. Walk to T3 security (if you checked in at T2). The terminals form one connected complex — about a 400 m walk landside, then through the centralised T3 security filter. Standard EU rules: 100 ml liquids in a resealable bag.
  4. Passport control (non-Schengen only). Flights to the UK, Ireland and other non-Schengen destinations clear exit checks after security — this is the step that has generated the long 2025–26 queues.
  5. Piers and gates. 48 boarding gates, 26 with airbridges. Pier D (T3) serves Schengen flights; Piers B and C (T2) serve non-Schengen. Gate numbers are assigned late — stay in the main waiting area until yours appears.

When to arrive

Recommended arrival times at AGP
Flight typeOff-peakPeak season / school holidays
Schengen (e.g. Madrid, Barcelona)2 hours2–2.5 hours
Non-Schengen (UK, Ireland…)2.5 hours3 hours
Hand baggage only, checked in online1.5 hours2 hours

The mid-morning bank — when the UK and German holiday flights depart within the hour — is the crunch. If your flight leaves in that window in July or August, take the longer recommendation: the bottleneck is passport control, not check-in.

After security

The airside commercial area holds the duty-free walkthrough, cafés and restaurants, and seating around the piers. Free Wi-Fi (“Airport Free Wifi Aena”) covers the terminal. Two lounges serve the airport — one in the Schengen area, one non-Schengen — with entry sold at the door and through lounge programmes.

Departures FAQ

How early should I arrive at AGP for departure?
Two hours is enough for Schengen flights. For UK and other non-Schengen departures, allow 2.5–3 hours in peak season — exit passport control is the bottleneck, and queues have been long since the EES rollout.
Which terminal do I depart from at Málaga Airport — T2 or T3?
Check in at T3 unless you fly Ryanair or easyJet — those two check in at T2, then you walk through the connected complex (about 400 m) to the centralised security checkpoint in T3. All departures, whichever terminal you checked in at, pass T3 security.
Can I check live AGP departures on this site?
Yes — the live departures board on this page shows today’s AGP departures, powered by the Avionio flight tracker. For the final word on your flight, always check your airline or Aena’s official flight information.
Where do I go after security at Málaga Airport?
Schengen flights board from Pier D (in T3); non-Schengen flights — including the UK — use Piers B and C (in T2). Follow the signs after the T3 security filter; the piers are connected airside.
Is Terminal 1 at Málaga Airport open?
No. T1 has been closed to the public since March 2010 and is earmarked for demolition. If a taxi driver, hotel shuttle or old website sends you to T1, head for T3 instead.

Arriving instead? See the AGP arrivals guide →