Good news for commuters with a home in Marbella or Malaga city and a job in London, Paris, Stockholm or Geneva - their airport is going to get a major upgrade. Airport operator AENA confirmed that Terminal Two, officially called the Pablo Ruiz Picasso, will get a 9 million euro make-over. The terminal first opened to the public in 2001 and is now to be renovated to bring it in line with Terminal Three, which opened in 2010.
AENA, Spain's airport and air traffic control agency, is seeking bids from engineering companies so that the initial construction and technical plans can be drawn up. A budget of 502,000 euros has been allocated to this process.
The stark contrast between the older and newer terminal won't have escaped the notice of the tourists, both holidaymakers and residential, as well as the increasing number of commuters flying in and out of Malaga every week. Terminal 3 looks well-kept and fit for the 21st century - its counterpart Terminal 2 does not have such a light and airy feel, lacks attractive retail areas and modern toilet facilities.
Work to start in 2016
The budget has been allocated for 2016, which means work won't start until next year and will be completed, if nothing goes wrong, within the 33 months set aside for the entire project.
AENA released a statement that showed priority was given to modernising safety measures, such as smoke detection and air conditioning systems. A new floor will also be installed, as the present flooring shows great wear and tear, even missing tiles. Smaller works include repainting and upgrading toilet facilities.
Terminal 2 and 3 should be made to look the same so that passengers, crossing from one to the other, should not notice they are walking through two buildings.
Dealing with serious Flaws
Apart from a bit of maintenance here and there and the occasional emergency repairs, Pablo Picasso Ruiz Terminal has seen no work since it opened and AENA have pointed to some series flaws that must be addressed with this major overhaul.
The airport operator stressed that passengers should not be affected too much by the make-over of Terminal 2. The successful bidder for the contract will have to evaluate the airport's activity and take that under consideration throughout the project, AENA stated.
Timely Announcement
AENA's statement was well timed. Malaga City is more popular than ever with tourists coming for the art collections, the food festivals and the great cultural scene that has developed in the city over the past few years. Malaga's easy train and road connections with Costa del Sol resorts like Marbella and Torremolinos also means more house-hunters are increasingly looking to buy in Malaga. These are typically house buyers with more than one European home, looking to frequently fly between Malaga and London perhaps, or Malaga and Frankfurt.
The change in the type of tourist many Spanish holiday destinations areas are trying to attract, means that far more discerning travellers are arriving at Spanish airports these days, people more likely to notice shortcomings and to complain. For example, the wealthy childless couples now visiting Mallorca's "adults only" boutique hotels all year round, rather than just in the summer, look for upmarket shopping at their airport terminal. They also want to enjoy a decent meal in pleasant surroundings, while they're waiting for boarding to be announced.
And at Malaga Airport, where a steady influx of art lovers, experts and collectors can be expected to arrive for major exhibitions in the city's brand new museums like the Pompidou Centre, this means a shabby airport terminal will make it into international media via blogs, social media sites and magazine articles for all the wrong reasons.
In Marbella, where the International Film Festival, various large-scale concerts and other cultural events take place every year, each event attracts a large number of visitors from abroad, nearly all of them arriving at Malaga Airport. An upgrade to Terminal 2 is therefore long overdue in the opinion of those who frequently use its facilities and those who are trying to promote the Andalucía region as a whole.