Delta Air Lines has begun flying on a new route linking Malaga with New York’s John F Kennedy International Airport.

The first non-stop flight of the four times a week service touched down at Malaga last week, where passengers were greeted by a high-profile reception committee.

Among the dignitaries welcoming travellers were regional tourism councillor Luciano Alonso, US consul Roberta Aaron and Delta’s vice-chairman Frank Jahagin.

Authorities in Andalusia have spent more than €3 million (£2.4 billion) on promoting the service, in the hope of attracting more US visitors to the region.

Local media reports stated that 70 per cent of seats have already been booked for the first month of the service, prompting Delta to indicate that daily flights are a possibility.

Delta recently announced plans to upgrade the in-flight entertainment facilities on its aircraft. Among the choices it hopes to make available to passengers on an on-demand basis are video games, hundreds of films, music and HBO television shows.

A British airport has revealed that demand for services to Spain has increased significantly in the last year.

According to Birmingham International Airport (BIA), passenger numbers on flights to Barcelona have gone up by more than 180 per cent.

Meanwhile, growth was also recorded on flights to places such as Murcia, Almeria, Alicante and Palma.

This has helped BIA achieve record passenger numbers in March 2008, with more than 730,000 passing through its two terminals.

The figure is 8.4 per cent more than the amount recorded a year earlier and comes after passenger numbers in February also reached record levels.

Peter Vella, business development director at BIA, commented: “It is the second straight month of record-breaking passenger figures, which is obviously great news as we strive to break the ten million passenger barrier this year.”

Spain’s popularity among tourists from the UK was recently highlighted by the Association of British Travel Agents, which described it as their “outright favourite”.

British Airways (BA) has confirmed that it is to begin operating new flights between the UK and Spain.

The carrier will roll out services to places such as Alicante and Palma from Gatwick Airport ahead of this year’s peak summer holiday season.

Routes to other Spanish destinations including Ibiza and Malaga will also be added to its timetables.

Meanwhile, BA is also planning to add extra flights to Spain from other London-based airports.

Consumers will soon be able to travel on an extra route between Heathrow and Malaga, as well as flights from London City Airport to Barcelona.

The number of extra services reflects the continued interest in Spain and demand for convenient travel links with the country.

BA’s new services could directly contribute to an increase in visitor numbers to places such as Alicante and Malaga, thereby boosting their appeal to British property investors.

A Place in the Sun recently revealed that Spain is the number one location for buyers of foreign property from the UK.

One airline is interested in starting routes to Alicante, Malaga and other Spanish destinations from Norwich International Airport this year, according to the managing director of the East Anglian hub.

Richard Jenner told the Norwich Evening News that these services - known as sun routes - could be offered again in the coming months, following Flybe’s decision to cancel them last July.

More routes into Spain from the UK may alert property investors to the country as accessibility to a nation is traditionally an important consideration for people who buy bricks and mortar abroad.

Mr Jenner told the newspaper: “Since Flybe pulled off that route we have been talking to about ten airlines - most of them want to start from next summer but there is one interested in starting this year.”

He added that the airport hopes to announce further information within the next two weeks.

Earlier this week, budget airline easyJet started routes from Manchester Airport to Malaga, having set up a base at the north-west hub.

A new station for high-speed trains could be built in Alicante province under proposals revealed by a group of local business leaders.

Located at Bacarot, the AVE station would serve both Alicante city and the nearby Costa Blanca city of Elche, with businesses hoping that the development will help to create an important new metropolitan area in southern Spain.

The ministry of development will now consider the plans, which have been put forward by the Business Confederation for Alicante Province, Typically Spanish reports.

If given the green light, the new station would also provide transport links for Alicante’s El Altet Airport. Construction is not likely to begin for several years, however.

According to official statistics released last month, El Altet is now the sixth busiest airport in Spain, with passenger numbers increasing by three per cent last year.

The train station could also be used by holidaymakers and property owners travelling to other popular Costa Blanca locations such as Torrevieja and Santa Pola.