There are lots of differet options available on the market for cheap flight to Malaga Airport. Today there are many low cost airlines that operate from anywhere in the UK.

Airlines operating between the UK and Malaga

EasyJet
British Airlines
Air Monarch

Airlines operating between Malaga and Ireland

Ryanair

Althought Ryanair do not have any direct flight from the UK to Malaga, the do fly to:

Granada from:
East Midlands
Liverpool
London Standsted

Sevilla from:
Liverpool
London Stansted
(Dublin)

These two options to Granada and Sevilla is the more “creative” way of getting to the Costa del Sol, but if you are hiring a car anyway while holidaying on the Costa del Sol, there might be some money to save, by flying to a nearby airport.