Barcelona airport passengers down 57% compared to pre-covid times

Barcelona’s El Prat airport registered 2,271,991 passengers in July, figures still far from the levels seen before the pandemic - a drop of 57.6% compared to 2019.

Yet, compared to 12 months before, passenger numbers have increased by 160.3%, as the continent has opened up much more this summer compared to last.  

On the other hand, 19,747 operations took place, an increase of 90.4% compared to last year. However, this is still 40.6% fewer than in July 2019.

Freight traffic has risen 27% this year compared to 2020, with 11,836,378 tonnes, but it is still a drop of 24.9% compared to pre-pandemic levels. 

2021

So far this year, Barcelona airport has welcomed 6,102,551 passengers through its doors, a drop of 33.6% between January and July 2020, and 79.8% fewer than in the same period of 2019. 

The total number of operations in these seven months is 63,567, a drop of 17% compared to last year and 68% fewer than in 2019. 

The fall in freight transport is less severe: between January and July, 73.5 million tonnes were recorded, 13.4% more than in the same period last year and 25.7% below 2019 levels. 

Girona and Reus 

Concurrently, Girona's airport, the gateway for many tourists to the Costa Brava, has seen an increase compared to July 2020. 52,195 passengers travelled to the north of Catalonia, a rise of 46.7%. 

Nevertheless, it is still about 82.3% fewer than in 2019, when the number of travellers was 294,820. 

Likewise, Reus airport, in southern Catalonia, has seen an increase of 72.7% compared to 2020, with 25,070 travellers. However, in comparison with 2019 figures, the difference is noticeable, with 87% fewer passengers.

Airport expansion

This summer, there has been an ongoing debate over the expansion of the Barcelona airport. Two weeks ago, the governments of Catalonia and Spain reached a deal to move forward with the expansion with a mammoth €1.7bn investment plan. 

Spanish officials estimate that the infrastructure plan will create 83,000 direct jobs and another 365,000 indirect jobs, and will help boost economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

However, local environmentalist groups called a protest for September 19 and denounced the planned expansion as "illegal and unnecessary", and obeying the interests of "mass tourism.