Barcelona–El Prat Airport · 1916–2038 | ChronotopiaBarcelona–El Prat Airport: from three grass fields to an intercontinental hub. Explore in 3D how it grew from 1916 to 2038, year by year: runways, terminals, aircraft and planned works.2026 · Today: DORA III approvedOn 15 September 2026 the Council of Ministers approves DORA 2027-2031 (about €13 bn across the network). El Prat gets €1,765 M: T1, T2, airfield, security and €191 M to prepare the expansion and environmental compensation. The runway and satellite terminal are not built in this period: they move to DORA IV (2032-2036). In July the new rail tunnel to T2 and T1 was completed, and Mott MacDonald and IDOM are drafting the new Master Plan.Stages

1916 · First flights at La Volateria: Pujol, Comabella y Cía opens a flying field of about 600 × 400 m beside the Volateria poultry farm and the Remolar lagoon. Sources: The New Barcelona Post: La Volatería, Enciclopèdia: aeròdrom de la Volateria, SINC: cien años volando a Mallorca

1918 · Latécoère and the first airline: On 25 December 1918 René Cornemont lands at La Volateria in a Salmson 2A2 with Pierre-Georges Latécoère on board, 2 h 20 min after leaving Toulouse. Sources: Revista de Historia Naval 154 (2021), Air Journal: 25 décembre 1918, Fundación ENAIRE: 100 años de transporte aéreo

1922 · Three airfields in the delta: The Navy leases La Volateria in 1921 for its Naval Aviation School, with Bessonneau hangars and one for airships. Sources: Revista de Historia Naval 154 (2021), Enciclopèdia: aeròdrom Canudas, Ajuntament del Prat: El Prat ocult, The New Barcelona Post: de La Volatería a la T1

1927 · Iberia: first route to Madrid: On 14 December 1927 Iberia opens the Madrid–Barcelona route with 10-seat Rohrbach Roland trimotors; a ticket costs 163 pesetas and the trip takes about 3 h 30 min. Sources: Wikipedia: History of Iberia, Wikipedia: LAPE, Enciclopèdia: aeròdrom Canudas

1936 · War and the Muntadas airport: In July 1936 the El Prat base, the most important in Catalonia, stays in Republican hands and the fields are unified under a single command. Sources: Ajuntament del Prat: El Prat ocult, Enciclopèdia: aeròdrom Canudas, BOE: Decreto de 3 de mayo de 1946

1948 · The first major runway: 07-25: Work begins on runway 07-25, forerunner of today’s 06L/24R. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto, Enciclopèdia: aeroport de Barcelona, The New Barcelona Post: 50 años de la T2, ICGC: ortofotos históricas

1949 · The ATB terminal, tower on the roof: On 6 July 1949 a simple terminal opens, topped by the control tower and bearing the letters "A.T.B." (Aeropuerto Transoceánico de Barcelona) towards the apron. Sources: The New Barcelona Post: 50 años de la T2, The New Barcelona Post: de La Volatería a la T1, Arquitectura Catalana: torre de control

1952 · Crossing runways and the north apron: Between 1948 and 1952 runway 16-34 (perpendicular to the main one), the southern half of today’s 02/20 and taxiways are built. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto, The New Barcelona Post: de La Volatería a la T1, ICGC: ortofotos históricas

1965 · A million passengers and a new tower: In 1963 the airport passes one million passengers. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto, Docomomo Ibérico: torre de control, Arquitectura Catalana: torre de control, BOE: Plan Director 1999

1968 · The 1968 terminal and the Miró mural: The new terminal (today T2B) opens, by architect Eduardo Aguirre and engineer Vicente Cudós: a 150 × 30 m column-free steel roof and a 14 m canopy. Sources: Docomomo Ibérico: Terminal B, BOE: Real Decreto 408/2026 (mural de Miró), The New Barcelona Post: 50 años de la T2

1974 · The air shuttle and the airport train: On 4 November 1974 Iberia launches the Barcelona–Madrid Puente Aéreo, Europe’s first walk-on air shuttle: 13 daily flights each way plus 4 standby aircraft, no booking needed. Sources: El Nacional: 50 años del Puente Aéreo, Wikipedia: estación de Aeropuerto, The New Barcelona Post: 50 años de la T2

1976 · Cargo terminal and 5 million passengers: Aena dates the cargo terminal, with a mail annex and its own apron in the west zone, to 1976 (other sources say 1974); the 1975 orthophoto already shows the hangar and fuel farm, and the 1977 one the large apron. Sources: Aena: historia del aeropuerto, The New Barcelona Post: la carga aérea, ICGC: ortofotos históricas

1992 · Barcelona '92: Bofill's terminals: Chosen as Olympic host in 1986, with about 6 million passengers a year, Barcelona commissions Ricardo Bofill: terminal B is remodelled and terminals A (international) and C (air shuttle) are built, joined by an indoor "rambla" almost 1 km long and four triangular boarding modules. Sources: The New Barcelona Post: un aeropuerto para unas Olimpiadas, Arquitectura Catalana: Terminal 2, Wikidata Q56973 (Aena)

1999 · Master Plan: "Plan Barcelona": After Plan Delta (1994), which reorganised the airport, port and river, the Master Plan of 22 October 1999 sets out an independent third runway 1,350 m from the main one, a new terminal between the runways and 90 movements an hour. Sources: BOE: Plan Director 1999, BOE: DIA de la ampliación (2002), BCN Regional: Pla Delta

2004 · The third runway and the new Llobregat: On 30 September 2004 runway 07R/25L opens beside the sea: 2,660 × 60 m, 1,350 m from the main runway, with CAT II/III ILS and six rapid-exit taxiways. Sources: Aena: análisis de la operación (2021), Aena: ILS de la tercera pista (2004), Aena: historia del aeropuerto, 3Cat: el Llobregat estrena desembocadura

2007 · A 62 m tower between the runways: In the early hours of 3 February 2007 the new control tower by Bruce Fairbanks enters service: 62 m, a hyperboloid structure, eight working positions in the cab (15 control positions in total), costing €16.2 M. Sources: Aena: nueva torre de control (2007), Aena: análisis de la operación (2021)

2009 · T1 opens: On 16 June 2009 Ricardo Bofill’s Terminal 1 opens between the runways: 544,066 m², 101 gates, 43 jet bridges and 166 check-in desks, costing €1,258 M. Sources: Aena: inauguración de la T1 (2009), Aena: primer aniversario de la T1

2016 · The metro arrives: L9 Sud: On 12 February 2016 the driverless L9 Sud opens between Zona Universitària and T1 (about 20 km and 15 stations), with stops at T2 and T1. Sources: Vía Libre: diez años de la L9 Sud, Wikidata Q56973 (Aena)

2019 · Josep Tarradellas Barcelona–El Prat: On 1 March 2019 the official gazette publishes the airport’s new name, honouring the president of the restored Generalitat. Sources: BOE: Orden FOM/210/2019, Ministerio de Transportes: DORA 2022-2026

2020 · The pandemic empties the airport: COVID-19 cuts traffic by 76%, to 12.7 million passengers. Sources: Catalan News: 2020 passenger numbers, Aena: remodelación del Dique Sur (2021)

2021 · The 2021 expansion is frozen: On 2 August 2021 the Spanish and Catalan governments agree €1,700 M to extend the sea runway east over La Ricarda and build a satellite terminal. Sources: El Independiente: suspensión de la ampliación (2021), elDiario.es: el proyecto de 2021 sobre La Ricarda, Ministerio de Transportes: DORA 2022-2026, Aena: las pistas paralelas cambian de denominación

2025 · Deal: €3.2 bn and +500 m of runway: On 10 June 2025 the Generalitat, the Ministry and Aena agree more than €3.2 bn of investment: the sea runway would grow 500 m (440 m towards La Ricarda and 60 m towards El Remolar) to 3,160 m, affecting 87 m less of La Ricarda than in 2021, with about 270 ha of compensation. Sources: elDiario.es: acuerdo para ampliar El Prat (2025), The New Barcelona Post: acuerdo de 3.200 millones, 3Cat: la ampliación, La Ricarda y El Remolar, Aena: récord de tráfico en 2025

2026 · Today: DORA III approved: On 15 September 2026 the Council of Ministers approves DORA 2027-2031 (about €13 bn across the network). Sources: BOE: DORA 2027-2031, La Moncloa: Consejo de Ministros 15-9-2026, El Nacional: dónde invertirá Aena 1.765 millones, Forbes: adjudicada la revisión del Plan Director, Noticias Logística: concluyen las obras del enlace

2027 · 2027: the train reaches T1: FGC’s R-Aeroport is due to start in the first half of 2027 on the new branch, 5.2 km long according to the Ministry (4.5 km according to Adif), mostly in a tunnel under the runways, with new stations at T2 and T1, a train every 15 minutes and about 20 minutes from Passeig de Gràcia. Sources: La Moncloa: acceso ferroviario al aeropuerto (2026), Noticias Logística: concluyen las obras del enlace, Vilapress: la nueva R-Aeroport

2029 · 2027-2032: T1 and T2 upgrade: Under DORA III the T1 façade will move 38 m towards the access roads, adding about 70,000 m² for new security checkpoints (works planned 2028 to 2031-32); the old Bofill tower will be demolished. Sources: Metrópoli: la T1 se desplazará 38 metros, Infobae: la mayor transformación de la T2, El Nacional: dónde invertirá Aena 1.765 millones

2036 · 2032-2038: 3,160 m runway and satellite terminal: In 2032-2036 (DORA IV) the 06R/24L runway extension and the T1S satellite terminal for intercontinental flights would be built between the runways, linked to T1 by an automated underground train. Sources: BOE: DORA 2027-2031, Preferente: la ampliación se va a 2032-2036, 3Cat: la ampliación, La Ricarda y El Remolar, elDiario.es: Bruselas y el delta del Llobregat

SourcesOpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), IGN, MDT25 digital terrain model (CC BY 4.0), Institut Cartogràfic i Geològic de Catalunya: ortofotos 1945-2025 (CC BY 4.0), Aena: historia del aeropuerto, Aena: notas de prensa (T1 2009, torre 2007, ILS 2004, Dique Sur 2021, tráfico), BOE: Plan Director 1999, DIA 2002, DORA 2017-2021 y 2027-2031, nombre 2019, BIC mural Miró, Ministerio de Transportes: DORA 2022-2026, Revista de Historia Naval 154 (2021): La Marina y la estación aeronaval de Barcelona, Ajuntament del Prat: El Prat ocult, Enciclopèdia Catalana / Esportpèdia, Docomomo Ibérico: Terminal B y torre de control, Arquitectura Catalana: Terminal 2 y torre de control, The New Barcelona Post: historia del aeropuerto y acuerdo 2025, La Moncloa: DORA III y acceso ferroviario, El Nacional / ON Economia: inversiones de Aena en El Prat, 3Cat: detalles de la ampliación (La Ricarda y El Remolar), Wikidata Q56973 (datos de pasajeros de Aena), Wikimedia Commons (créditos en cada foto)Chronotopia needs JavaScript and WebGL.

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