Thousands of people demonstrated in Barcelona on Sunday against the possible expansion of Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, according to Ara Cat. The march, called by the Zeroport platform and backed by 210 social, neighbourhood and environmental organisations, began at Passeig de Gràcia and Carrer Aragó and was expected to finish at Plaça de Sant Jaume.
For residents of Barcelona and the Baix Llobregat area, the immediate consequence is that no runway construction is included in the current plan. DORA III, Aena's airport investment programme running to 2031, includes preparatory spending for a possible expansion, meaning any work to extend the third runway would not begin before 2032 if the project proceeds.
More than €1.7bn planned for El Prat
The Spanish government approved DORA III this week. The plan allocates more than €1.7bn to El Prat, largely for improvements to terminals T1 and T2 and their car parks, Ara Cat reported.
- More than €1.7bn is earmarked for El Prat airport up to 2031.
- Almost €192m is assigned to preliminary steps linked to a possible expansion.
- The plan does not provide for construction work on extending the third runway.
Zeroport links project to tourism and housing pressure
Farmers from Baix Llobregat travelled to Barcelona by tractor, while other participants arrived by bicycle. Around 10 groups also travelled from Barcelona neighbourhoods and towns across the metropolitan area on foot, by bicycle, metro and train.
Joan Manel del Llano of Zeroport said the platform opposed the project on environmental and social grounds.
“The governments of the Generalitat and the State and Aena are engaging in climate denial and acting irresponsibly when they blindly defend the airport's expansion.”
Zeroport said a further expansion would affect the Llobregat delta's biodiversity and reinforce a tourism-based economic model in a metropolitan area it describes as already saturated. The platform also linked the proposal to pressure on housing access and social cohesion.
The airport project has divided political and business organisations. Ara Cat reported that the Minister of Transport, Óscar Puente, said an expansion could be considered under the subsequent DORA IV plan if the European Union approves it on environmental grounds, while Minister of Culture Ernest Urtasun opposed further growth in visitor numbers.
The demonstration's planned destination is Plaça de Sant Jaume, where Barcelona City Council and the Generalitat, Catalonia's regional government, have their headquarters.
Reported by ara.cat, Ara Cat.
