Barcelona Airport has begun the summer season, already underway in the aviation sector, with a record number of passengers that has exceeded all demand forecasts. The conflict in the eastern Mediterranean, with the war in Gaza, has diverted a significant portion of traveler flows towards Spain, which is experiencing another tourism boom, not without challenges.
In the case of El Prat, this new increase in demand is driven by the revaluation of Barcelona as a destination after the COVID-19 pandemic and the growth of the trade fairs and conferences segment. All this has led the airport to achieve six consecutive months of record passenger numbers and to enter a period of maximum activity, according to the latest data published by Aena.
International travelers are growing more than in the rest of the Aena network. April closed with more than 4.6 million passengers, representing a 9.5% increase compared to the same month last year and 1.7% above the previous record for that month, set in 2019. In that year, the airport approached its technical capacity limit, set at 55 million people per year, and if the trend continues, 2024 is expected to get even closer to that figure.
A fundamental role in this growth is played by the increase in international flights. The rise in travelers in this segment surpasses that of the entire Aena airport network. More than 3.4 million passengers traveled on international flights through El Prat last month, an 11.8% increase compared to April 2023. In total, airports in Spain saw a 9.2% growth in international passengers, reaching 17.47 million. Madrid-Barajas Airport also grew above average in international travelers, with a 12.2% increase (3.95 million). The dense network of European flights at El Prat, along with the return of the intercontinental market and the consolidation of Madrid as a hub for long-haul flights, explains this increase.
