The Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport closed 2025 with 57.5 million passengers, the highest record in its history. The figure consolidates Barcelona among the great capitals of European air connectivity: it is the fifth city on the continent in origin-destination traffic, the twenty-second in the world, and the third European airport in seat availability. A positioning that, according to a study by the Observatory of Urban Economy of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, is mainly explained by the city's tourist attraction capacity, but also by the economic, business, and knowledge ecosystem that has developed around it.
But the report also identifies a growth opportunity. Despite the good results, more than 5.3 million intercontinental passengers with origin or destination Barcelona continue to travel making a stopover at other airports. This latent demand, concentrated mainly in the United States, Asia, and some Latin American markets, is one of the main levers to strengthen the city's global connectivity in the coming years.
The study Barcelona on the global map: air connectivity, tourism, and city competitiveness attributes this positioning to the role tourism has played in recent decades. According to the report, Barcelona's international appeal has provided the critical mass necessary to consolidate routes, increase frequencies, and diversify markets to build one of the most competitive air networks in Europe.
Unlike other major European hubs, Barcelona has built this connectivity without a large flag carrier specialized in long-haul. The airport's strength, the study argues, lies in the city's ability to attract visitors, talent, investment, and economic activity.
The three keys for Barcelona's next leap
For the Chamber, the challenge is not so much to increase the number of passengers as to transform a larger part of the existing demand into direct routes, more frequencies, and stable operations throughout the year. With this objective, the study proposes three lines of action.
The first involves preserving the role of tourism as the main generator of international air demand. The report argues that Barcelona's tourism strength has been decisive in achieving the current level of connectivity and considers it a strategic asset for the entire urban economy.
The second focuses on strengthening intercontinental connections in markets where the city already has consolidated demand. The United States, various Asian countries, and some Latin American destinations account for a large part of the more than five million passengers who currently travel indirectly.
Finally, the Cambra proposes integrating all assets that complement tourism into the strategy for promoting new routes: international congresses, professional fairs, research, health, startups, technology, foreign investment, international communities, and air cargo. According to the study, these sectors provide added value, help reduce seasonality, and reinforce the economic viability of long-haul connections.
The report also highlights the role of cruises and major international events such as the Mobile World Congress or Integrated Systems Europe (ISE), which contribute to generating high-value international demand and consolidate Barcelona as a hub for mobility, business, and knowledge.