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Military Malaga airport hosts Top Gun-like training flights for future fighter pilotsTwo F-18 fighter jets from the 15th wing, based in Zaragoza, have come to the Costa del Sol to conduct training exercises for students at the academy
Málaga
Wednesday, 11 March 2026, 15:16
Commercial flight passengers at Malaga Airport witnessed a scene from Top Gun on Monday, when two fighter jets took off from the runway as part of a training programme. Given the current state of the world, the experience must have really felt like a film production.
In reality, the scene had nothing to do with the conflict in the Middle East. As an Air Force spokesperson explained, the two F-18 fighter jets in Malaga were part of a "routine student navigation exercise". The planes belong to the 15th wing, based in Zaragoza, which came to Malaga to conduct training exercises.
The airport control tower has also confirmed that these training flights have nothing to do with the conflict in Iran.
Sometimes the fighter jets only make low-altitude passes, while other times, as happened now, they land and depart hours later. A third modality is special manoeuvres, such as the well-known 'Eagle Eye' exercises in the Mediterranean, when the aircraft remain for several days at the Malaga air base.