Major airports in Spain are set to install new separate border control areas for those living outside the EU – including Brits – in the wake of chaos following the implementation of new European travel rules.
Malaga airport, one of the busiest in the country, has revealed its €1.5 billion (£1.3 billion) expansion plan, which will include a new zone for Brits.
Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport will undergo updates to its building and facilities, including the creation of a single area with access to a non-Schengen boarding area.
Between 2027 and 2031, improvements will be made to the hub.
One of the key features is a larger security zone, with a large, separate area for non-Schengen passengers – just for those from the UK and other third-country travellers.
Málaga-Costa del Sol Airport will implement new separate border control sections
Since Brexit, this group includes British passport holders – meaning the process of getting through the airport could be made far easier, The Express reported.
Other airports in the Balearics will implement similar strategies, the Majorca Daily Bulletin reported.
Investment funding has been provided for similar updates to airports in Menorca, Ibiza and Palma.
To fund the developments, Spanish airport operator AENA has announced a €13 billion (£11.4 billion) investment plan for its airports.
The goal, according to AENA, is to provide airports with the capacity to handle increased traffic in the future and to ensure the highest standards of safety, maintenance and quality for passengers and airlines.
It comes after the start of the new European entry/exit system, commonly called the EES, an automated digital border system for non-EU nationals, including UK citizens, entering the Schengen Area, which includes most of the EU, plus Iceland, Norway, Liechtenstein and Switzerland.
Travellers are now required to register biometric details, including fingerprints and photographs.
The rollout began in October 2025 but airports and ports have a more flexible timeline to implement the system fully.
The new system has already been causing significant delays for air passengers.
Indeed, earlier this week airports and airlines urged the EU to review the rollout of the EES, warning it could trigger long queues over the Easter holidays.
Industry bodies, including the International Air Transport Association, ACI Europe and Airlines for Europe, said the phased introduction of the EES since October is already causing ‘significant delays’.
Long queues have been reported at many airports in the Schengen area, alongside technical issues such as crashing gates, as seen in Gran Canaria.
Other major hubs, such as Lisbon, have seen lengthy waits for passengers.
Brits have been warned to prepare for queues of up to four hours in European airports over the coming summer months.
