Experts and authorities agree on the urgency of expanding Barcelona-El Prat Airport

The Barcelona City Council's Infrastructure Advisory Committee and the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, have stressed the immediate need to expand Barcelona-El Prat Airport to improve the city's international connectivity. An opinion elaborated by 25 experts from various fields, highlights the possibility of increasing operations from the current 78 per hour to 90.

 

The Infrastructure Advisory Committee of the Barcelona City Council has concluded that the expansion of Barcelona-El Prat Airport is "urgent and necessary" to avoid saturation and allow the arrival of more long-haul flights.

This opinion, prepared by 25 expertsfrom various fields, highlights the possibility of increasing operations from the current 78 per hour to 90, provided that pending and future environmental trade-offs are met. It is proposed to extend the airport's short runway, preferably without affecting the protected areas of La Ricarda and El Remolar.

The Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu, has backed this position, so that Barcelona maintains its position as a city directly connected to the world. Hereu emphasized that, although the transformation of the airport is essential, it must be carried out in such a way that its environmental footprint is "absolutely neutral", taking advantage of available technologies and scientific knowledge.

The first deputy mayor of Barcelona, Laia Bonet, has also defended the expansion of the airport so that the city "continues to be a reference point" in areas such as economics, knowledge and research. Bonet stressed the importance of meeting environmental commitments before proceeding with any expansion.

However, the expansion faces significant challenges. The Generalitat de Cataluña must decide between the expansion of the port or that of the airport, as both infrastructures present incompatibilities. The increase in the port's grid height interferes with the airport's third runway radars, which complicates the situation.

In addition, the airport is close to reaching its maximum capacity of 55 million passengers per year. Expansion work is expected to begin in 2027, provided that a political agreement can be reached to move the project forward.