The Costa del Sol airport is launching a pilot project in autumn this year offering direct flights between Malaga and Seoul.
The airline in charge of providing this connection between the southern tip of Europe and South Korea will be Korean Air. Specifically, the flights will connect the capital of the Costa del Sol with Incheon International Airport, one of the most important gateways to Northeast Asia.
With 434,583 tourists, Spain was the eighth most popular destination for South Koreans last year (second only to the United States).
Direct Flights Malaga – Seoul
Korean Air will connect the Costa del Sol with eight flights between October and November.
This pilot test consists, for the moment, of four return charter flights – eight in total – between 9 and 12 October and 2 November.
According to press releases, two of the flights are already full. So, if the idea of a comfortable non-stop flight between Malaga and Seoul appeals to you, don’t wait too much longer to book your flight.
Pilot Test
This is the first direct connection between Malaga and Seoul over a distance of almost 10 000 kilometres.
To go to the capital of South Korea from Malaga, until now, it was necessary to make a stopover in Istanbul or Doha. Or take a flight from Madrid, but also with stopover.
KalTour Tourist Package
From Seoul, charter flights are offered as part of a package tour marketed by Hanjin Travel under its KalTour brand. This tour operator handles more than 200,000 customers in Europe per year and is the only official Korean Air operator for tourist charter flights.
The company Hanjin Travel takes a lead role in providing a high-class and trusted travel experience with its ever-improving and high-quality tour packages.
What is the best airline in South Korea?
In terms of direct flights, Korean Air is the most popular, with direct flights from 91 cities. Korean Air flies to Gimpo International Airport (GMP) and Incheon International Airport (ICN).
Korean Air was voted the world’s best airline in 2025, beating last year’s winner Qatar Airways.
Which Korean airport is closest to Seoul?
Seoul has two airports, Incheon and Gimpo.
Incheon International Airport (ICN), winner of the ACI World’s Best Airport award for twelve consecutive years, is one of Northeast Asia’s most important gateways and the main hub for Korean Air and Asiana Airlines. Skytrax ranked the airport as the fourth best airport in the world.
It is one of the largest and busiest airports in the world.
This airport opened in 2001, to replace the older Gimpo International Airport, which now serves mostly domestic destinations and shuttle flights to several East Asian metropolitan areas. Of Seoul’s two airports, Gimpo is the closest to the city centre, some 16 kilometres away.
Korean Air
Korean Air was runner-up as ‘Airline of the Year 2024’. It has also been named the ‘Best Long-Haul Airline in North Asia’.
Flights between Malaga and Seoul will be operated by Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. These aircraft have 291 seats in three classes: Eight seats in “First Class”, 56 in “Business Class” and 227 in “Economy Class”.
Travel requirements
Requirements to travel to South Korea from Spain
- To travel to South Korea, it is necessary to have a valid passport with a minimum validity of 6 months.
- Spanish citizens do not need to apply for a visa if their stay is less than 90 days. It is necessary to have the electronic authorization K-ETA (‘Electronic Travel Authorization’).
Requirements to travel to Spain from South Korea
Spain tourist visa requirements:
- Holding South Korean passport that is valid for six months beyond the period of the intended stay in Spain.
- Proof of onward travel (departure) from Spain.
- New this year will be the mandatory ETIAS online travel form. Find all relevant information in our article ETIAS – New mandatory travel document for Europe.
If you are looking for Spain visa information, such as available types of visas, or how to apply from South Korea, you can find all the relevant information on the official website of the Spanish Embassy in Seoul.
Malaga Street Art in Seoul
Malaga has advertised itself in Seoul with an original street art action. It is located in one of the most popular shopping districts among the upper class.
A 245 square metre mural by the Malaga artist Eduardo Luque with the slogan “Málaga loves Seoul” has been installed there. It is accompanied by images of the city’s main landmarks including references to Picasso, the Cathedral and the Roman Theatre.
