Overview

I pass through Malaga Airport regularly and my experiences of special assistance have varied. However, the service has improved greatly over the last 10 years. The experience is different depending on the airline. This is what I do, which I find works well. NOTE: It’s usually better to state your needs rather than complain e.g. say ‘I need to be able to see the next chair before I leave this one’. Rather than ‘why aren’t there any chairs? You just left me standing’. 1. Communicate your needs in advance of travel Firstly I go online and fill out the special assistance request form for the airport. https://www.aena.es/en/malaga-costa-del-sol/airport-services/prm-person-with-reduced-mobility.html This means that you are not relying on the airline to communicate with the airport what you need. However, you still need to inform the airline. Most need 48 hours. EasyJet have an online form. Ryanair needs 72 hours before (they've refused my scooter before because I hadn't called them and they already had 'too many' onboard). Ryanair has an online form AND they need a call at least 3 days before to take details of you mobility aids. 2. Arrival and check-in at the airport I believe you can arrange for special assistance to meet you at one of the parking areas too but I've never tried it. When I arrive at the airport I go to the main special assistance area at least 2 hours before the flight. From there they can help you with check-in if needed. You still need to go to check-in with a mobility aid for them to put labels on it and inform the gate personnel that you're coming, even if you are hand luggage only. You may be asked multiple times for the same information so have it to hand - weight, dimensions and type of battery of your wheelchair/scooter. I stay on my scooter all the way to the plane door. For others they use wheelchairs and push you along. 3. Going through security They then help me through security down a separate channel on the right of the main security queue. Security usually do a sweep of the scooter, I assume to test for explosives, and a manual pat down of my body. They ask first about any areas of pain so they don't harm me. There is also fast track assistance for autistic people and ADHD for example that find waiting and stimuli difficult (based on other passengers I've spoken to or seen). They’re given a card or lanyard that they flash to staff to make them aware. 4. From security to the plane Once through security, there are easily accessible shops, restaurants and toilets to enjoy. See notes on toilets. However, with special assistance they may want to take you straight through passport control to the expected gate. You get to jump the queue! There’s very little near the gates. I know of one decent sized disabled toilet there. So you need to tell the assistant if you want to stop to buy something from duty free, the cafes or use the bathroom before passport control. After getting food etc, I go and wait at the gate and then when they are ready, special assistance lead me down and through the air bridge to the plane door. At this point they take my scooter and put it in the hold. I then walk to my seat. With Ryanair or others that don't use airbridges, I am led from the gate to a different gate where I’m picked up by a special assistance ambi-lift (is a specialised bus that lifts up to the plane door). I’m driven with the scooter to the plane. The scooter is taken from me there and put in the hold and I am lifted up. (It's essential to state to Ryanair if you can't stand or walk more than a few metres and that you can't do steps AT ALL. They push you at checkin and often at the gate to use their buses and stairs, perhaps to avoid the cost of using the airport facilities. There’s a lot of standing around and stairs involved if you don't get help with it.) Flying into Malaga Airport The special assistance when arriving by plane into Málaga Airport varies wildly with most problems caused by the airlines not effectively communicating with the airport, and disabled people not saying what they need. I think it's essential to fill out the Aena request form detailed above. And remind the crew of your needs just before or just after you land. Usually you have to wait for everyone else to get off the plane and then the ambi-lift or staff with wheelchairs come and collect you. I’m usually met by my scooter on the ambi-lift or on the airbridge. If it’s not there then ask them at this point where it is. I’m usually accompanied through passport control and if I need help with luggage at the baggage hall they will help me with that too. Always state your needs. E.g. I need a wheelchair and cannot stand for more than 30 seconds. If you struggle to stand, do not leave your seat before seeing where the next one is. This applies to all special assistance in Spain and usually elsewhere too.

Transport & Parking

At the moment (September 2022) being collected by a pre-booked taxi is not convenient. There is 200m walk in the open (very hot in summer) to a parking area where they have to wait. They're not allowed to stop outside the airport. There is a taxi rank that usually has disabled access taxis with ramps. I prefer to go here rather than pre-book if I need one. The easiest for collecting people is Parking Preferente which you have to pay for. The drop off gives you 10 minutes for free and puts you close to the check-in desks and a special assistance area. If you can time it right you can collect from here too but it's a longer walk from arrivals than Parking Preferente. The buses in Málaga are accesible with a ramp from the middle of the bus and you can press the button next to it to get the drivers attention. They are usually friendly and helpful. There are lots of buses to the airport from town and the surrounding area. There is a train station at the airport connecting to Malaga centre, Torremolinos, Benalmádena and Fuengirola with stops in between. It says it's accessible at most stations. I've only tried the train from Málaga to Madrid (see other review), which I found straight forward. Checkout www.renfe.es There are lots of different parking areas at the airport, all with disabled bays and flat access into the airport. For details go to https://www.aena.es/en/malaga-costa-del-sol.html The app is easy to use too.

Access

It's flat throughout with lifts where needed. Signage for special assistance is clear - mostly on a yellow background. The special assistance area has lots of yellow seats so its obvious for me. There are several disabled toilets throughout the airport including one with adult changing table, hoist, and ostomy cleaning area (see other review). This is in the shops area, between security and passport control. The ones beyond passport control aren’t so spacious and equipped. There is seating throughout the airport on both sides of passport control.

Toilets

Staff

The special assistance staff at the airport are great, and I’ve not had a bad personal interaction with them. Sometimes the system is clunky though, and the airline crew, checkin staff and people working airside don’t always work smoothly with each other. But for the most part it works. Sometimes the difference in communication styles is a problem. Spanish people are more direct than Brits, and expect you to be too. If you complain but don’t ask them for what you need, they are unlikely to think you need something. Being polite and subtle, or generally complaining won’t help you or them have a good experience. So be direct. I.e. I need xyz, or If I do that it will hurt me.