airport

The Catalan airline company has added 17 new flight destinations within the last year. It has also kicked off a new and improved customer loyalty programme, ‘Spanair Star’.

International passengers increased by 22.6% and passengers within Spain by 11% in comparison to the figures of October 2009. However, these positive figures contradict those of the Girona and Reus airports, where passengers dropped by 4 and 16.5% respectively due to Ryanair’s reduction of flights and its instalment at Barcelona.

25 intercontinental destinations will be available from the Barcelona airport starting the 31st of October. In addition, many flights to current destinations will increase their frequency. However, this increase is not shared with the Girona and Reus airports, which are seeing their destination variety and frequency decrease now that Ryanair is flying out of Barcelona. Besides, operating from Girona in 2011 will be 27% cheaper, as airport taxes have been modified.

Today Iberia unveiled its colossal reparation hangar, able to host the giant A-380 airplane. In addition, after 5 years of decreasing its flights from Barcelona, especially at an international level, Iberia announced that it will operate direct flights linking Sao Paulo and Miami with the Catalan capital.

Vueling will offer flights to the Lleida-Alguaire airport from 14 cities around Europe via Barcelona. The airline company Pyrenair will offer ski vacation flights from Madrid, Vigo and Lisbon.

The Catalan Government will become part of the Spanair’s board after a 10 million euro shareholders increase made possible by the public company Avança.

The Spanish Parliament has formally asked the Spanish Government to decentralise the management of the Barcelona airport and have Catalan institutions deeply involved. All the groups in the Parliament, including the ruling Spanish Socialist Party (PSOE), have voted in favour of the motion presented by the Centre-Right Catalan Nationalist Party (CiU) with the exception of the Conservative and Spanish Nationalist People’s Party (PP).

The German airline has announced today the opening of 2 new direct routes from Barcelona’s airport. In addition, Air Berlin has confirmed his aspirations to operate from the new main terminal T1. The airline’s passengers going through Barcelona has grown 14% in the last year.

Ryanair begins operating 197 flights per week in 23 destinations from Barcelona-El Prat from today on. The company is decreasing its flights from the Girona and Reus airports but, in global terms, the number of Ryanair flights to and from Catalonia is rising from 326 to 412 flights per week.

The Aragonese airline company Pyrenair will begin offering flights from the Lleida-Alguaire airport starting in January to destinations such as Vigo, Madrid, and Lisbon. Pyrenair will also operate from the Osca-Pirineus Airport.

Despite the rise in fuel prices and the dollar as well as the negative effects of the volcanic ash cloud, the Catalan company Vueling has gained a profit of 7.1 million euros in the year?s first trimester.

Last week the Spanish Government announced the delay or cancellation of several transport infrastructures? public works in Catalonia. One of them was the train connection to the main terminal of Barcelona?s airport, which now centralises almost all flight

Arguing budgetary reasons, the Spanish Ministry of Public Works has decided to delay the arrival of the railroad to the T1 Terminal by an entire year. It was announced today that Catalonia has become the Autonomous Community most affected by budget cuts.

Within the last 5 years, Barcelona?s El Prat Airport has seen the number of intercontinental passengers grow about 70%. In addition, the number of flights and destinations within other continents have increased.

Corporatejets currently operates charter flights at 3,300 euros an hour, but it is looking to expand its market. The company hopes to begin transoceanic flights for local businesses and executives.