> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://barna.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # El Prat on Track for Record 378,000 Flights in 2026 - URL: https://barna.news/el-prat-on-track-for-record-378-000/ - Published: 2026-10-13T15:38:23.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-13T15:38:23.000Z - Description: Barcelona-El Prat Airport has handled 283,386 flights in nine months, with passenger and cargo traffic rising steadily. - Author: Barna.News - Tags: Transport Barcelona-El Prat Airport is on course to set a new annual record for aircraft movements, having already recorded 283,386 takeoffs and landings between January and September 2026\. If current trends continue, the airport could close the year with around 378,000 operations, surpassing the 2025 record of 360,786, according to data released Tuesday by Aena, the airport's public-private operator. In September alone, the airport managed 33,386 aircraft operations, a 3% increase compared to the same month in 2025\. Year-to-date, flight movements are up 3.6%, reflecting sustained growth in both passenger and cargo activity. ## Passenger Traffic Up 4.4% El Prat welcomed 5,417,608 passengers in September, a 2.6% rise from September 2025\. From January to September, the airport has handled over 45.59 million passengers, 4.4% more than in the same period last year. Of these, 34.68 million were international travellers, a 5.5% increase, while domestic traffic grew by just 1%. International routes continue to drive the airport’s expansion, reinforcing Barcelona’s role as a key European gateway for leisure and business travel. ## Cargo Growth Outpaces Passengers Cargo volumes are rising at more than double the pace of passenger numbers. In September, El Prat transported 18,634 tonnes of freight, 6.9% more than in the same month last year. The nine-month total reached 161,531 tonnes, an increase of 10.7%. This follows a record year for cargo in 2025, when the airport handled 200,741 tonnes, a 10.5% rise over 2024, according to Aena’s annual report. --- ## Expansion Plan Approved, Construction Not Yet Started In June 2025, the Spanish Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility and the Generalitat de Catalunya approved Aena’s expansion plan for El Prat, which includes a €3.2 billion investment to extend the sea runway (Runway 24L-06R) by 500 metres to 3,160 metres and build a new satellite terminal. The plan, designed to minimise environmental impact on the La Ricarda lagoon, will be included in Aena’s DORA 3 investment period (2027–2031). However, construction has not yet begun and remains subject to technical and environmental procedures. > The new solution allows the development of the intercontinental hub with the least environmental impact on the La Ricarda lagoon. Aena says current growth can be sustained through better use of existing time slots and a more balanced distribution of traffic throughout the year. Modernisation of Terminals 1 and 2 and other infrastructure improvements are also planned under the DORA 3 framework, though the runway extension is not part of the approved 2027–2031 investments. With three months remaining in 2026, El Prat has already surpassed 79% of last year’s total passenger volume and 78.6% of 2025’s flight operations. The airport is now on the verge of reaching 300,000 movements in just nine months. --- *Primary sources:* [*aena.es*](https://www.aena.es/doc/pressdetail/250610-bcn-acuerdo-ampliacionen.pdf?ref=barna.news)*. Reported by lavanguardia.com, cnmv.es, La Vanguardia Barcelona.* --- ### Related on Barna.News - [Ryanair Adds Poznan Route from Barcelona This Winter](https://barna.news/ryanair-adds-poznan-route-from/) - [FGC Barcelona-Vallès Line Faces 2029 Saturation](https://barna.news/fgc-barcelona-valles-line-faces-2029/) - [Ronda Litoral Night Closures Start Tuesday](https://barna.news/ronda-litoral-night-closures-start/) - [TMB to Add Trains on Lines 1 and 5 from 15 Oct](https://barna.news/tmb-to-add-trains-on-lines-1-and-5-from/)