The director for one of Europe’s largest airlines has issued a stark warning about the future of Barcelona’s main air transport hub. He stated that the expansion of Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport is now essential to overcome significant growth limitations.

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Javier Gándara, the General Director of EasyJet for Southern Europe, argued that El Prat has reached its operational ceiling, particularly during crucial peak hours. This prevents airlines from adding new services and basing more aircraft in the city.

“The expansion of El Prat is necessary because at certain hours it can no longer grow more,” Gándara said in a recent interview with Catalan newspaper Ara Cat. He highlighted the most congested periods as being “especially, in the first and last hours of the day, fundamental slots for being able to have more planes based here.”

For EasyJet, which has operated in Barcelona for nearly three decades and established a base at the airport in 2016, this capacity crunch directly impacts its strategy. “For EasyJet, the expansion is what will allow us to continue growing and assign more planes to Barcelona,” Gándara explained.

Managed by state-owned operator Aena, the airport is the second busiest in Spain and recently set a new passenger record for February. This sustained high traffic has pushed its infrastructure to the limit, forcing airlines to navigate with operational tweaks.

Gándara detailed how EasyJet is adapting by using larger aircraft to maximise the number of passengers per available flight slot. The airline operates a fleet of Airbus A319, A320, and A321 models, with seating for 156, 186, and 235 passengers, respectively.

“At El Prat, since the limitation is on the airfield, a larger plane is prioritised because it allows you to move more passengers in the same time slot,” he noted.

The expansion push has been a contentious political issue for years. It involves the Spanish government, the Generalitat de Catalunya, and local mayors, including El Prat de Llobregat’s mayor, who has been a vocal critic of the plans.

A major investment plan of over €3.2 billion has been approved. This includes extending the third runway and building a new satellite terminal, although the final master plan is not expected until around 2028-2029.

An Airline’s View from Terminal 2

EasyJet has been a long-term resident of the airport’s older Terminal 2 (T2), having arrived before the modern Terminal 1 (T1) was even built. Gándara acknowledged that the facility is showing its age and requires investment to match the standards of its newer counterpart.

“T2 is the old terminal and, as happens at other airports like Barajas, it needs a facelift,” he said. “It needs to be restored a bit and brought up to date so that it is more on par with T1.”

Also speaking as president of the Spanish airline association (ALA), Gándara criticised Aena’s proposals to increase airport fees. He argued that in a highly competitive market, airlines often absorb such cost increases to avoid losing passengers to rivals, which ultimately squeezes profitability.

Despite these challenges, Gándara affirmed that EasyJet’s focus remains on sustainable operations rather than simply chasing market share. “We are not obsessed with market share, whether we are second, third or fourth, but with profitable growth,” he stated. The airline is currently the fourth-largest carrier at El Prat.

Looking ahead, Gándara suggested that geopolitical instability in the Middle East could inadvertently benefit destinations like Barcelona. These locations are perceived as safe havens for tourists. He drew a parallel with the Arab Spring, which saw a similar shift in travel patterns. “Destinations like Barcelona and Spain in general can be conjuncturally reinforced because they are perceived as safer.”