Construction work completed at El Prat Airport T1 to adapt it as a hub for intercontinental connections

 

29 April 2021

After more than two years of work and a €48 million investment, Aena, the world’s leading airport operator by number of passengers, has announced the completion of the south dock remodelling works at Terminal 1 at El Prat Airport (Barcelona).

Meta Engineering has provided the project management and supervision of the construction works, through a Temporary Joint Venture (TJV) with Sener, which aims to increase the capacity to accommodate wide-body aircraft operating long-haul routes.

The original one-storey building in the south wing of T1, previously used for regional flights, has been divided into three floors where intercontinental passengers can board and disembark, separating passenger flows according to boarding, arrivals and whether they are Schengen or connecting flights.

Therefore, four new boarding bridges and the extension of a fifth existing one have been built, equipped with moving walkways compatible with wide-body aircraft. The aircraft parking stand has also been renovated and now has five new positions for wide-body aircraft.

These upgrades will strengthen the capacity for intercontinental flights at El Prat Airport, which increased from 15 intercontinental connections in 2005 to 47 in 2019, despite the interruption caused by the restrictions resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Aena anticipates that El Prat Airport new capacities will consolidate it as a hub, a strategic infrastructure destined to become an international junction for connections that will help to position Barcelona and Catalonia as an attractive destination for business and trade fairs, beyond traditional tourism, and compete with other cities and regions in the world.