Record 35.2 million passengers at Barcelona El Prat Airport in 2013

Barcelona’s El Prat Airport has ended 2013 strongly to reach a new record of 35.2 million passengers, amounting to a 0.2% increase over the previous year in a context of economic crisis. According to figures released by the Spanish Airport Authority (AENA), in December 2013, 2.3 million passengers transited through El Prat, meaning 5.3% more than during the same month last year. On the other hand, Madrid’s Barajas Airport continues on a downward trend, with its yearly number of passengers dropping to 39.7 million, an 11% decrease. Girona Airport, the second largest in Catalonia, has registered negative figures for the fifth consecutive year. However, this latest decrease has been more moderate (-3.8 %) than during previous years and in 2013 it received 2.74 million passengers.

Barcelona El Prat overtook Madrid Barajas airport in August (by ACN)
Barcelona El Prat overtook Madrid Barajas airport in August (by ACN) / ACN

ACN

January 10, 2014 07:40 PM

Barcelona (ACN).- Barcelona’s El Prat Airport has ended 2013 strongly to reach a new record of 35.2 million passengers, amounting to a 0.2% increase over the previous year. According to figures released by the Spanish Airport Authority (AENA), in December 2013, 2.3 million passengers transited through El Prat, meaning 5.3% more than during the same month last year. On the other hand, Madrid’s Barajas Airport continues on a downward trend, with its yearly number of passengers dropping to 39.7 million, an 11% decrease. Girona Airport, the second largest in Catalonia, has registered negative figures for the fifth consecutive year. However, this latest decrease has been more moderate (-3.8 %) than during previous years and in 2013 2.74 million passengers went through its facilities. Reus Airport (southern Catalonia) ended the year with positive figures. 


After a slow start of the year, Barcelona’s El Prat Airport has ended 2013 strongly to reach new records. In December 2013, 2.3 million people transited through the airport, that is to say 5.3% more than in December 2012, and the highest increase compared with last year, in monthly terms. These latest figures made the yearly number of passengers reach an unprecedented 35.210.735 million. Such a record number was reached in a negative economic context, with a drop in domestic trips. However, the number of passengers from outside the EU increased by 12.9%, while the number of intercontinental passengers increased by 11.2%.

In the meantime, while Madrid’s Barajas Airport remained the first airport in Spain based on passenger numbers, it continued on a downward trend with the figures falling to 39.7 million, an 11% decrease. Besides, in August, for the first time ever, a greater number of passengers transited through Barcelona El Prat than through Madrid Barajas.

Second largest Catalan Airport in Girona registers a 3.8 % decrease compared to 2012

On the other hand, Girona Airport ended 2013 with 2,736,867 passengers, representing a loss of 3.8 % over 2012. The Girona facilities also registered a decline in the number of flights operated, which dropped to 27,050, representing a 2.3% decrease. Last December, the airport lost 27.5 % of passengers compared to the same month of 2012, in spite of a 10% drop only in the number of flights operated, which fell to 970. The airport has been losing passengers every year since the record 5.5 million of passengers in 2008, mostly transported by Ryanair. In 2009, the figures had dropped to 5,286,970 (-4.1 %), in 2010 to 4,863,954 (-8 %), in 2011 to 3,007,977 (-38.2 %) and in 2012 to 2,844,571(-5.4 %). The latest 3.8 % decline in the number of passengers is the most moderate since the beginning of this downward trend.

Positive figures for Reus Airport

Reus Airport (southern Catalonia) ended the year with positive figures. 971,166 passengers transited through its facilities in 2013, meaning 3.6 % more than in 2012. In addition, the number of flights operated was up by 5.4 %, to reach 16,977. However, Reus registered 44.2% fewer passengers in December compared to the same month last year, although the number of flights was up by 12% to reach 812.

Finally, the Sabadell airport for private and leisure aircrafts (Greater Barcelona) registered a smaller decline compared to recent years. It registered 27,734 takeoffs and landings during the year, 4.5 % less than in 2012.