Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat Airport

BCN originated in 1918 as Barcelona's first airfield, located in El Remolar, needed better expansion capabilities. The new airport, located in El Prat, was used as the headquarters of the Aeroclub of Catalunia and was also a base for the Spanish Navy's Zeppelin Fleet. Regularly scheduled commercial service commenced in 1927 via an Iberia flight to Madrid, Iberia's first route. 1948 brought about the first overseas service by PanAm to New York City. That same year, a runway was built, now 07/25. During the next four years, a second runway, now 16/34, was built along with taxiways and a terminal. By 1963 BCN was serving over 1 million passengers annually.
Furthermore, a new air traffic control tower was built in 1965, while a new terminal was opened in 1968 (currently Terminal 2B). In August 1970, Pan Am initiated regularly scheduled service between Barcelona, Lisbon, and New York, using a Boeing 747. Later that year, Iberia began an air shuttle service between Barcelona and Madrid-Barajas, which would later be the busiest air shuttle service in Europe. In 1976, a terminal was built specifically for the shuttle service. The following year, BCN serviced 5 million people. In order to accommodate the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, BCN had to modernize and expand the terminal, known as Terminal B, and construct two other terminals, A and C. Furthermore, jetways were constructed in order to provide direct access to aircraft. A new air traffic control tower was also completed in 1992. Nonetheless, it was replaced in 2006. On June 16th, 2009, the new Terminal 1 was inaugurated, covering 5.8 million square feet. It featured 45 gates (expandable to 60), 13,000 new parking spaces, and the capabilities to handle large aircraft such as the Airbus A380-800 and the Boeing 747-8I. Today the new terminal is responsible for 70% of flight service in BCN, whereas the old terminals A, B, and C are now known as terminals 2A, 2B and 2C. BCN became the first Spanish Airport to receive a daily flight with the Airbus A380-800 on February 1st, 2014, via an Emirates route to Dubai International Airport. Furthermore, in 2017 direct flights from Barcelona to the US, Latin America, and Asia commenced via the International Airlines Group, which was comprised of British Airways, Iberia, Vueling, and Aer Lingus.

The airport is located 9.3 miles southwest of the city center of Barcelona. 

• There are plans in place for the extension of the airport, with a total investment of 5.1 billion euros for constructing a satellite terminal and refurbishing existing terminals. These additions and modifications will bring BCN's capabilities to handle 70 million passengers annually. 
• There are three VIP lounges in Terminal 1 and one in Terminal 2. The Pau Casals Lounge in Terminal 1 won the Priority Pass Best Lounge in the World award for 2013. The Colomer VIP Lounge is reserved for passengers on the Barcelona-Madrid Shuttle route. 
• The shopping and dining options at BCN are extensive. Football fans will appreciate the FC Barcelona store.