The Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and the Generalitat de
Catalunya greenlight Aena's plan to expand the Josep Tarradellas
Barcelona-El Prat Airport
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The Technical Committee formed by the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility of the Spanish Government and the Government of Catalonia has given the green light to Aena's plan to expand Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport. This project combines the development of the intercontinental hub with the conservation of the La Ricarda lagoon.
The actions already planned and those that are now agreed upon, whose terms will be included in the airlines consultation process to be started in Aena's next investment period, DORA 3 (2027-2031), will amount to an investment of approximately 3.2 billion euros by Aena.
Technical plan
The new solution involves extending Runway 24L-06R (sea runway), thus allowing the airport to achieve the necessary capacity to accommodate aircraft on intercontinental routes without restrictions, while minimising noise impact on neighbouring areas. The increased airfield capacity also requires the building of a satellite terminal.
The technical plan to extend the airfield consists of lengthening the take-off runway by 500 metres to a total of 3,160 metres. This is compatible with reducing the impact on natural areas thanks to the partial use of the runway end areas. The La Ricarda lagoon will maintain its sheet of water, as the runway will end before the main arm connecting it to the sea.
The technical solutions adopted, always in accordance with international, EU and national regulations on air safety, allow the necessary runway surface area and conservation of the lagoon to be combined with a reduction of 87 metres in its impact on the natural area of La Ricarda, as compared to the initial proposal.
To sum up, the project consists of the following main actions:
- Remodelling of Terminal 1.
- Remodelling of Terminal 2.
- Extending the sea runway.
- New Satellite Terminal.
- Improvements associated with the sea runway.
- Actions related to parking at the two terminals.
Minimal environmental impact
The final plan ensures the least environmental impact with measures such as the conservation of the La Ricarda lagoon, no impact on El Remolar outside the airport’s perimeter, and reduced acoustic impact on neighbouring areas. The agreement also includes compensatory actions aimed at improving the natural spaces of the Llobregat Delta, which will be detailed during the finalisation of the Master Plan, but which will be aimed at gaining more than 270 hectares of natural spaces, among other actions. This means multiplying the affected area by 10; creating a "green ring" within the airport's surroundings to make agricultural uses compatible with environmental protection; and creating an environmental fund to boost the protection of the Llobregat Delta.
These planned actions will complement Aena’s ongoing work in the Llobregat Delta, such as forestry in the pine groves, control and elimination of invasive species, setting up nesting boxes for birds, maintenance of drainage channels and water extraction in coastal wells to prevent saltwater intrusion.
Aena is the world's largest airport company by passenger numbers and is embarking on its biggest investment wave in 20 years to ensure that airports can accommodate future demand as well as new security requirements.
