Quite logically, when we have to fly by plane, we first care about the price, the company that will transport us and generally a little less about the airport that we will have to explore on departure and arrival, or even somewhere in transit.
However, even if it is not us who chooses (even if…), nothing prevents us from finding out in advance what awaits us. Because just like with companies, at airports we find the best and the worst…
Today we will go to the airport in Barcelona.
In the global Top50 and European Top10
Barcelona is a very touristic city, as we know, but also one of the main airport platforms in the world.
At least in terms of attendance, because Barcelona-El Prat regularly ranks in the World Top50 and European Top10 in terms of attendance. More than 40 million passengers pass through the airport every year, coming or going from almost all of Europe or around the Mediterranean Sea, if not much further to the American continent or the Far East.
In short, the city of Barcelona is generally well connected, although it is true that the air shuttle service from/to Madrid or just the connection to the Balearics represents almost 15% of the total traffic. On the other hand, we can also notice that Iberia, the Spanish national airline, is very little represented here, leaving space instead for its subsidiaries such as Air Nostrum or Vueling. It’s a shame about the long haul, which may be losing some lines that could find their place from Barcelona.
Meanwhile, El Prat remains a fairly popular airport among travelers, as it is generally very well rated by everyone, especially when it comes to public transport, the number, variety and efficiency of which seem to be recognised.
Barcelona-El Prat Airport
Name: Barcelona-El Prat Josep Tarradellas Airport
Encoded: BCN
Distance to city center: 12 km southwest of the city.
Commissioning: 1918
Other major airports nearby: although there are several other airports along the coast of Barcelona, such as Reus or especially Girona, their operations are limited by often seasonal or low-cost flights according to the flight schedule.
Transportation and movement
Operation: 49,909,544 passengers (2023)
World attendance ranking: 31Thursday in the world and 7Thursday in Europe (2023)
Number of Device Moves: 318,957 (2023)
Number of companies present: over 80 with major European ones, including cheap ones, plus a few more American, Asian and Middle Eastern ones.
Companies based there: Iberia, but above all also Air Nostrum, Level, Vueling.
Secondary basis: easyJet and Ryanair.
Number of destinations served: Barcelona Airport has 180 routes, mainly to Europe (especially with good domestic traffic) and the Mediterranean region, but also to the US-Canada, China and the Far East, as well as the Gulf countries.
– Main domestic destinations: Palma de Mallorca (more than 2 million passengers/year), Madrid, Ibiza, Seville, Menorca, Malaga, Tenerife…
– Main international destinations: Amsterdam (more than 1.2 million passengers/year), Paris-Roissy, London-Gatwick, Rome, Paris-Orly, Lisbon, Milan, etc.
Infrastructure
Number of terminals: 2
Number of tracks : 3
Transport in the city center and more: bus, shuttle, taxi, plus also train and metro from the airport.
More information: www.aena.es
SkyTrax
It is a world reference in terms of rewards in the field of aviation, companies and airports (see their pages). Additionally, its numerous rankings are widely anticipated and commented upon annually.
As for Barcelona-El Prat Airport, it was classified in 2024:
43Thursday “The best airport in the world”.
but also as…
4Thursday “The best airport in the world in the category of 40/50 million passengers”.
More details on Skytrax (see website):
- Overall note: 4/5
- Transport and access: 4.3/5
- Passenger security checks: 3.6/5
- Customs : 3.8/5
- Marking: 3.3/5
- Departure-arrival-transit facilities: 3.2/5
- Comfort and services: 3.5/5
- Boarding: 3.2/5
- Shopping: 3.7/5
You are looking for reviews of Barcelona Airport
There are many online platforms for rating anything and everything, including air travel of course. Barcelona-El Prat Airport Review:
Air Radar 24: 9,500 reviews and an overall rating of 4/5 (see reviews).
Yelp.com: 450 reviews and an overall rating of 3.4/5 (see reviews).
Flight report: 230 reviews and an overall rating of 8/10 (see reviews).