The Barcelona Airport is a fundamental piece for the Catalan economy, especially for businesses and the tourism industry. It is a category A commercial airport with the capacity to operate transoceanic flights with all types of aircraft.
- According to the information from Airports Council International (ACI), the Barcelona Airport received 30.2 million passengers in 2008, which allowed it to maintain the 9th position in the European ranking of airports in terms of passenger traffic volume.
- It is the third most important airport located in a city that is not a capital after Frankfurt and Munich, and has a great potential for increasing its growth of air traffic, especially for long-haul flights.
Location and Connectivity
The Barcelona Airport is located in the Southwest of the city, only 12 km from the city centre and 3 km from the Barcelona port, a Mediterranean reference in cruise and container traffic. It is also located on the shores of the Free Trade Zone Consortium, one of the most important logistical centres of Barcelona.
The Barcelona Plan also anticipates the improvement of highway access, increased parking spaces and improved public transportation with the arrival of metro (L9), commuter train (C2) and the high speed train (AVE).
The Airport of the New Millennium
Since the approval of the director Plan in 1999, important alterations have been made to the Airport, such as improvements and expansions of the old terminals A, B and C (now grouped under the new name T2), improvements to the loading area, parking lots and security infrastructures of the airport, as well as the construction of a new runway.
The new plan also incorporates significant improvements in other points, such as a new control tower, parking areas, improved airport access, spacious business area and commercial spaces.
With the new terminal (T1) opened, the Barcelona Airport doubles its capacity and the city is placed among the elite world airports for its facilities and services, reinforcing its position at the head of the Mediterranean and Southern Europe.
The T1 is a modern building that incorporates the latest technological and organizational parameters, such as the automatic baggage handling system, land transportation and passenger assistance services.
