Aena, the Ministry of Transport and the Government of Catalonia have reached an agreement to promote the expansion of Jopes Terradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, with a planned investment of more than 3 billion euros. The initiative includes the lengthening of the third runway, the construction of a satellite terminal and the renovation of the current infrastructures, and is part of the strategy to turn El Prat into an air hub of international reference.
According to the parties involved, the airport's new master plan will be approved in 2028, the work will begin in 2030 and it is scheduled to come into service in 2033. The intervention will make it possible to absorb more long-haul flight traffic, in a context in which the airport closed 2024 with nearly 55 million passengers, close to its current maximum capacity.
The extension includes the extension of the third runway, the one closest to the sea, by some 500 metres, which will facilitate the take-off and landing of intercontinental aircraft without the need for operational penalties. In addition, the construction of a new satellite terminal, which could have a capacity for 20 million passengers per year, the improvement of terminals T1 and T2 and the extension of the car parks are also envisaged.
In addition, the project incorporates a series of environmental measures, which are necessary for its processing. These include the restoration of between 250 and 300 hectares of the natural environment of the Llobregat Delta, as compensation for the impact on protected areas such as La Ricarda and El Remolar. The initially planned area of occupation of the La Ricarda lagoon has also been reduced, which has been reduced by around 90 metres compared to the previous plan rejected in 2021.
The president of the Generalitat, Salvador Illa, has stressed the "solid and consensual" nature of the agreement, while Foment del Treball has described it as one of the key projects for Catalonia's competitiveness over the next decade. However, the initiative has generated opposition from several affected municipalities, such as El Prat de Llobregat, and from parties such as the Comuns, the CUP and ERC, who warn of possible rejection by the European Commission if the protection of the natural environment is not guaranteed.
A project with implications for the real estate sector
Beyond its airport dimension, the expansion of El Prat will have an indirect impact on the metropolitan real estate market. Improved international connectivity could strengthen the demand for offices linked to foreign investment and the technology sector, especially in the municipalities of Baix Llobregat and areas of economic expansion such as the Parc Logístic de la Zona Franca.
Likewise, the increase in logistics and service activity linked to the airport may result in additional pressure on industrial and tertiary land in the southern part of the metropolitan area. Added to this is the possible boost to residential projects linked to new jobs and economic activity derived from the airport operation, at a time when the supply of housing in Barcelona and the surrounding area continues to be limited.
The execution of the project will also require coordination between the different administrations to ensure the urban, environmental and technical viability of the actions, and could generate opportunities for the construction and infrastructure sector. In this sense, the experience of previous airport expansions, such as that of 2009, shows that this type of intervention can act as an economic dynamiser, with repercussions in different segments of real estate.
The European Commission will ultimately have to validate the new master plan, depending on its compliance with EU environmental regulations. Until then, the agreement reached marks a starting point that reopens the debate on the balance between economic growth and environmental protection, and positions the airport as a strategic axis for the future of Catalonia.