Barcelona is a beautiful city located on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is famous for its world-class cuisine, sandy beaches, a popular football team (Barcelona), lively nightlife, and amazing architecture.
Tourism, manufacturing sectors, and the fashion industry are the major sources of economy in Barcelona city. It is one of the most visited cities in the world by international tourists, and is ranked the most popular city to visit in Spain.
If you are planning to travel to Barcelona, you can reach there via highways, airports, seaports, metro, regional rail, and various other means of transportation.
In this blog, we are going to explore the major airports in Barcelona City that serve regular flights to various domestic, and international destinations.
Table of Contents
What are the major airports in Barcelona?
There are a total of four airports in Barcelona, Spain out of which three airports operate regular commercial flights. Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Girona-Costa Brava Airport, and Reus International Airport are the main airports in the city.
There is also a small public-use airport called Sabadell Airport that facilitates general aviation services only.
Let’s explore the airports in detail.
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport (ICAO: LEBL, IATA: BCN)
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport is simply known as El Prat Airport, and is one of the major airports in Barcelona. It is located 9 miles southwest of the center of Barcelona.
BCN is owned/operated by Aena, and serves the Barcelona Metropolitan area. The airport is a hub for Vueling, and Level (an airline brand under which airlines owned by the International Airlines Group operate low-cost flights). Besides, it is also a focus city for Air Europa, EasyJet, Iberia Airlines, and Ryanair.
BCN Runway Information
El Prat Airport is situated at an elevation of 14 ft (4 m) above mean sea level (AMSL), and covers a total land area of 15.33 square kilometers (equivalent to 3,780 acres).
There are three runways available at BCN airport with the designations Rwy 06L/24R, Rwy 06R/24L, and Rwy 02/20.
| RUNWAY DESIGNATION | LENGTH | SURFACE |
| Rwy 06L/24R | 3,743 m (12,281 ft) | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Rwy 06R/24L | 2,660 m (8,727 ft) | Asphalt/Concrete |
| Rwy 02/20 | 2,528 m (8,293 ft) | Asphalt/Concrete |
BCN Terminal Facility
There are two passenger terminals at Barcelona–El Prat Airport: Terminal 1, and Terminal 2. Terminal 1 handles both Schengen, and non-Schengen flights, and is equipped with 258 check-in counters, 60 jetways, 15 baggage carousels, and over 12,000 parking spaces.
Terminal 2 is further divided into three linked sections (Terminal 2A, 2B, and 2C). The majority of airlines operating from this terminal are budget carriers.
Airlines, and Destinations
There are more than 70 airlines including domestic, and international carriers that operate regular commercial passenger, cargo & charter flights to and from Barcelona–El Prat Airport.
The largest airlines in terms of flight frequency at BCN are Vueling, Ryanair, Iberia Airlines, EasyJet Europe, EasyJet UK, Lufthansa, Air Europa, Norwegian Air International, Wizz Air, and British Airways.
The busiest destinations to and from BCN include Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, London–Gatwick, Rome–Fiumicino, Amsterdam, Paris–Charles de Gaulle, Ibiza, Paris–Orly, Seville, and Frankfurt.
BCN Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | LEBL |
| IATA CODE | BCN |
| ELEVATION | 14 ft (4 m) AMSL |
| AREA | 15.33 square kilometers |
| RUNWAY | Rwy 06L/24R (Asphalt/Concrete) Rwy 06R/24L (Asphalt/Concrete) Rwy 02/20 (Asphalt/Concrete) |
Girona–Costa Brava Airport (ICAO: LEGE, IATA: GRO)
Girona-Costa Brava Airport (GRO) is also among the major airports serving Barcelona which is located 7.8 miles southwest of the city of Girona. The airport is owned/operated by Aena, and serves Girona, the Costa Brava, Barcelona, and Catalonia.
GRO is used as an alternative airport for Barcelona as it is 55.3 miles away from the center of Barcelona city. It features a single asphalt runway with the designation Rwy 02/20 with an overall length of 2,400 m (7,874 ft).
The airport is equipped with a single two-story passenger terminal building. All services including check-in, security clearance, food, shops, and other amenities are available at the terminal.
Airlines, and Destinations
There are a total of seven airlines operating flights to and from Costa Brava Airport. Enter Air, Jet2.com, Ryanair, Smartwings Hungary, Transavia, TUI Airways, and TUI Fly Belgium are the major airlines operating at the airport.
| OPERATING AIRLINES | DESTINATIONS |
| Enter Air | Poznan/Lawica (POZ), and Riga (RIX) |
| JET2.COM | Birmingham/Internacional (BHX), Bristol (BRS), East Midlands (EMA), Leeds/Bradford (LBA), Londres/Stansted (STN), Manchester (MAN), and Newcastle (NCL) |
| Ryanair | Baden Baden-Karlsruhe (FKB), Bournemouth (BOH), Bristol (BRS), Bruselas (BRU), Bruselas/Charleroi (CRL), Cork (ORK), and Cracovia (KRK), Dublin (DUB), Dusseldorf/Weeze (NRN), Eindhoven (EIN), Frankfurt (HHN), Helsinki (HEL), Knock-Ireland West (NOC), Leeds/Bradford (LBA), Londres/Stansted (STN), Manchester (MAN), Memmingen (FMM), Nuremberg (NUE), Paris/Beauvais-Tille (BVA), Pescara (PSR), Pisa/Galileo Galilei (PSA), Poznan/Lawica (POZ), Riga (RIX), Roma/Fiumicino (FCO), Santiago-Rosalia De Castro (SCQ), Shannon (SNN), amd Wroclaw (WRO) |
| Smartwings Hungary | Katowice/Pyrzowice (KTW), and Varsovia (WAW) |
| TRANSAVIA | Amsterdam/Schiphol (AMS), and Rotterdam (RTM) |
| TUI Airways | Birmingham/Internacional (BHX), London–Gatwick (LGW), and Manchester (MAN) |
| TUI Fly Belgium | Brussels (BRU) |
GRO Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | LEGE |
| IATA CODE | GRO |
| ELEVATION | 14 ft (4 m) AMSL |
| RUNWAY | Rwy 02/20 (Asphalt) |
Reus International Airport (ICAO: LERS, IATA: REU)
Reus Int’l Airport (REU) is located 65 miles to the south of Barcelona City. The airport primarily serves Reus, Tarragona, and Costa Dorada however, it receives a large amount of tourist traffic destined for Barcelona. So, REU indirectly serves Barcelona.
REU is situated at an elevation of 71 m (233 ft) above mean sea level (AMSL), and features a single asphalt runway with the designation Rwy 07/25. The overall length of the runway is 2,459 m (8,068 ft).
Reus Airport is equipped with a single-passenger terminal that features 23 check-in desks, 12 boarding gates, food services, duty-free shops, and other amenities.
5 Airlines including JET2.COM, Ryanair, Ryanair UK, TUI Airways, and TUI Fly Belgium operate regular flights to and from Reus.
| OPERATING AIRLINES | DESTINATIONS |
| JET2.COM | Belfast (BFS), Birmingham/Internacional (BHX), Bristol (BRS), East Midlands (EMA), Edimburgo (EDI), Glasgow (GLA), Leeds/Bradford (LBA), London-Stansted (STN), Manchester (MAN), and Newcastle (NCL) |
| Ryanair | Birmingham (BHX), Brussels/Charleroi (CRL), Cork (ORK), Dublin (DUB), East Midlands (EMA), Eindhoven (EIN), Gdansk (GDN), Leeds/Bradford (LBA), Liverpool (LPL), London-Stansted (STN), Manchester (MAN), and Shannon (SNN) |
| Ryanair UK | London-Stansted (STN) |
| TUI Airways | Aberdeen (ABZ), Birmingham (BHX), Bristol (BRS), Doncaster International (DSA), Glasgow (GLA), London-Gatwick (LGW), Manchester (MAN), and Newcastle (NCL) |
| TUI Fly Belgium | Brussels (BRU) |
REU Technical Information
| ICAO CODE | LERS |
| IATA CODE | REU |
| ELEVATION | 71 m (233 ft) AMSL |
| RUNWAY | Rwy 07/25 (Asphalt) |
Sabadell Airport (ICAO: LELL, IATA: QSA)
Sabadell Airport is also among the airports in Barcelona city, however, it is a small public-use airport that is specially used for general aviation purposes such as pilot training, aerotaxi, and private flights.
The airport is situated at an elevation of 485 ft (148 m) AMSL, and features a single asphalt runway with the designation 13/31, and a length of 1,050 m (3,444 m).
Conclusion on Airports in Barcelona
We are at the end of this article in which we discovered all airports in Barcelona, City. There are three major airports serving Barcelona, and they are Barcelona–El Prat Airport, Girona-Costa Grava Airport, and Reus International Airport.
El Prat airport (BCN) is the most important for visitors arriving in Barcelona as it is just 9.3 miles southwest of the center of the city. Over 70 airlines (Domestic, and foreign carriers) operate flights to and from BCN airport connecting various domestic, and international destinations.
If your next destination is Barcelona, you can land at the BCN airport for quicker access to the city. Besides, there are a couple of nearby airports (GRO, and REU) where you can land, and take a short highway drive to reach Barcelona city.
The best airport to choose for you will depend on your budget, your travel preferences, and your destination in Barcelona. If you are on a budget and you are not planning on spending much time in Barcelona’s city center, then GRO or REU may be a good option for you. However, if you want to be close to the city center and you have the budget, then BCN is the best choice.
Here are some other important travel tips for flying to Barcelona:
- Book your flights in advance to get the best prices.
- Be sure to check the baggage restrictions for your airline.
- Allow plenty of time to get to the airport before your flight.
- Take advantage of the public transportation options to get from the airport to the city center.
FAQs on Airports in Barcelona
How many airports are there in Barcelona?
There are three major airports serving Barcelona City in Spain and they are Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN), Girona-Costa Grava Airport (GRO), and Reus International Airport (REU).
Which Barcelona airport is closest to the city?
Barcelona–El Prat Airport (BCN) is the closest airport to Barcelona City as it is just 9 miles away.
Which airport do I fly into for Barcelona?
The best airport to fly to for Barcelona is El Prat Airport (BCN) because it is the nearest airport, and operates regular flights from over 70 commercial airlines.
Is Barcelona El Prat the same as BCN?
BCN is an IATA code for Barcelona–El Prat Airport. So, El Prat Airport is the same as BCN.
