Barcelona airport surpasses 4.2m passengers in March, 13.8% more than 2023

Barcelona airport surpassed 4.2 million passengers in March, an increase of 13.8% compared to the same month last year, according to figures released by Spain's airport management company Aena on Friday. 

With these figures, the infrastructure breaks, for the fifth month in a row, its record of travelers.

Of the total, 4,280,537 passengers flew on commercial flights – 3,130,094 on international flights, up 17.5% on 2023, and 1,142,079 passengers on domestic flights, up 4.9%. 

Compared to March 2019, pre-pandemic, passenger numbers rose 7.9%. 

Madrid was the busiest airport in Spain, with 5,342,624 passengers, 10.8% more than in March 2023 and 8.9% more than in 2019. 

There were 27,013 take-offs and landings at Barcelona airport during March, up 11.7% on 2023 and up 4% on 2019. 

Passenger numbers for the year so far, including January and March 2024, stand at 11,440,126. This represents a 14.7% increase on 2023 and a 8.8% increase on 2019. 

The airport in Barcelona carried 15,345 tonnes of freight, an increase of 13.5% compared to the same month last year. So far, in 2024, 43,693 tonnes of cargo have been transported using the Catalan capital infrastructure, 12.7% more than last year.

Catalonia's other airports

Catalonia has three more airports operated by AENA: Reus –in the south–, Girona –in the north–, and Sabadell –just outside Barcelona–.

Girona-Costa Brava was the second busiest airport in the territory in March 2024, with 53,714 passengers, 98.9% more than in the same month last year and 33.7% more than in 2019.

Meanwhile, there were 913 operations, 24% fewer than in March 2023 but 55.8% more than in 2019.

In the south, Reus saw 6,682 passengers, 40% less than the same time one year ago, but 39.7% more than in 2019. There were 1,460 take-offs and landings, 12.9% fewer than in 2023 but 26.4% more than in 2019.

Sabadell, which is mainly a training facility and a place for private jets to land, saw 4,403 operations during March 2024, but only 374 passengers used the infrastructure, 7.5% more than one year ago and 5.6% fewer than before the pandemic.