Malaga Airport News - Blog about Malaga Airport (AGP)

The company Iberia deals with a new strategy after a hole of 273 million Euros in 2009 and ending a thirteen-year period of benefits.

Iberia, which accumulated thirteen years with benefits, something unprecedented in the airline industry worldwide, has succumbed to the crisis. So much that it has moved from a profit of 32 million Euros in 2008 to a loss of 273 million Euros last year, a hole of more than 700,000 Euros each day.

The decline in the market, regarding especially the executive passengers who are leaving money and the enormous price competition have affected the airline. In order to try to stop the deficit, the company has accelerated its plans to launch a new ‘low cost’ to gather customers in Spain and Europe. This company of cheap tickets will begin flying on November 1^st 2010.

According to the president and CEO of Iberia, Antonio Vazquez and Rafael Sánchez Lozano, respectively, who have worked in recent months to try to close the merger with British Airways, this ‘low cost’ company will have the undertaking  to supply Barajas for long-haul flights.

The new company does not draw on planes or personal from Iberia and, in principle, does not interfere in the operations of Vueling and Air Nostrum. The two leaders stressed that the project will meet very unprofitable routes with are nowadays unfeasible due to the current structure.

Compete in low cost

With this step, Iberia wants to compete with companies like Easy Jet and Ryanair, which in the last year have ‘stolen’ thousands of passengers; not only customers who look for cheap offers, but also many executives who, forced by the austerity imposed by their companies, have abandoned the spacious seats near the cabin for tourist travel.

The market assumes that the airline is doomed to continue cutting its frequency with regard to a business that continues to decline. The company, which now also has to compete with the high-speed train AVE, lost market share in important areas. In the domestic segment it yielded 2.5% and in the Madrid-Europe routes, 2.3%.

Low-cost carriers have opened the possibility to see new places cheaply.

The summer season has already started at Málaga International Airport, and with it the opportunity for citizens to fly directly to the Costa del Sol from 137 cities, mostly European but also American or African. So there is the possibility of having direct links to and from many cities throughout the day, providing the opportunity to pack
and take a trip, especially given the proliferation of low cost airlines.

The airline Ryanair has opened a base at the airport Malaga from where it launches 44 routes at mostly cheap prices.

The countries that are better connected with Malaga, are the main markets of tourists to the Costa del Sol. In fact, the companies open routes more in order to bring travelers to Malaga rather than vice versa, something that benefits the province. The largest number of destinations is Spain itself, for obvious reasons, since it is necessary to improve the connection between the main cities. From Pablo Ruiz Picasso airport in Malaga you can fly to 22 Spanish cities, including very appealing tourist destinations such as Mallorca, Tenerife, Lanzarote or Madrid and Barcelona, which as big cities always have a lot of travelers, even in summer.

The next country with 19 connections is Britain, being London – you can fly to Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Stansted – the preferred destination. However, there are gaining strength other cities like Liverpool and Edinburgh, which was European Cultural Capital in 1991.
Germany is the third country where there are more opportunities to travel as you can access 13 cities, among which are also Berlin, Munich or Cologne.

The airlines, despite the international downturn, have relied on the possibilities of Malaga airport to the point that the lines have increased for this summer season – which ends in October – in 9.5% the number of flights and 10.6% the number of seats.

Proof of this is that the U.S. airline Delta Airlines has decided to recover the connection between Malaga and New York; from Malaga you also can fly through the Air Transat, to Montreal and Toronto.

One of the advantages of having an international airport is that you can travel to multiple destinations without having to make stops. There remains yet the Asian market to be developed, although the opening of the new terminal, T3, opens new horizons. In the meantime, there are available 137 cities, the most of them at very affordable prices.

Ryanair will release this week 22 new connections from Malaga airport.

The low cost airline which moves most passengers in Europe will open on Tuesday a base of operations in the terminal T2 of Malaga airport with an investment of 200 million Euros. It is the largest landing of a company ‘low cost’ in the capital, which will provide 44 direct routes and will give a strong momentum in the city’s direct connections with national and international destinations.

It was in 2003 when in Malaga landed for the first time a Ryanair plane, at the time when the phenomenon ‘low cost’ was exploding and when few could have imagined the evolution of these companies and the force attained over the years despite competing with the giants of commercial aviation, the flag carriers.
From now on, this company will operate in the capital of the Costa del Sol 360 flights a week.

Of these 44 connections, seven will improve air communications from the capital of the Costa del Sol to other Spanish destinations, specifically to seven domestic airports: Santiago, Santander, Valladolid, Zaragoza, Valencia, Gerona and Barcelona.

New flights to international airports include Aarhus, Berlin, Billund, Bratislava, Krakow, Eindhoven, Stockholm Skavsta, Goteborg, Haugesund, Maastricht, Memmingen (Munich West), Oslo Torp, Paris Beauvais, Pisa, Tampere, Venice-Treviso and Wroclaw.

The company said: “Ryanair becomes the most economical option for travel in Spain not only for tourism and recreation, but also for work and business travel. The company offers a rapid means of transport, economic and secure way to strengthen and open up new work and professional relationships between Malaga and the rest of the peninsula.”

The 5th Skate Day unites about 2,000 people in a fun ride through the streets of the historic centre of Malaga

Yesterday was held the fifth edition of the Day of Skate in a circuit around the old town of Malaga. The event, which is not competitive, developed through the main streets of the Historic Centre. Starting at the Town hall, the ride continued for Guillen Sotelo, Cortina del Muelle, Plaza de la Aduana and Cister and entered the old town, returning to the finish line, located in Avenida de Cervantes, opposite the Park Mansion.

This fifth edition of the Skate Day has broken a record of participation with two thousand registered participants. In addition, some skaters joined the event even without being registered.
Young and old took on yesterday morning the main streets of Malaga. Many of them did with original costumes and joy was not lacking in a ride that lasted an hour.

Once finished the circuit through the Historical Center, were given out awards in each of the six categories: most original equipping of children, men, women, the best combined couple and the best combined family. There were also raffles and giveaways and a recreational area where participants could practice as other forms of skating, such as extreme, hockey, speed, slalom, etc.

Another years is being celebrated the Book Fair in many Spanish cities, the annual meeting with news of the publishing world and bookselling in general. In Malaga the Book fair is celebrating from the 28th of May to 6th of June its 40th edition in the Paseo Park.

The new edition will feature a series of activities such as workshops, concerts, film series, signatures, book presentations, contests and storytellers, as well as’ The Night of the book.”

Around fifty posts turn the Paseo del Parque in a great celebration of the written with the presence many local and national authors.

Storytellers and puppet shows and music become the greatest incentive to move closer to reading as a family; legends, songs, riddles, games, a little bit of everything to enjoy as a family and, incidentally, kill another bird with the same stone: promote reading.

In the Playroom children can give free rein to their sense of artistic creation or the bindery workshop. Open to the general public on weekends, it was been filled, especially in the evenings, with curious of all ages. They have learned to sew the leaves, glue the back and mount the covers of a book. Of course, then they could take it home.

Anyone who wants to try his luck has a new appointment the next 5th and 6th of June. Meanwhile there are a thousand and one titles in any of the 47 booths throughout the week to “ennoble the Park,” as expressed by the poet Alfonso Canales.