Madrid International Airport will have a $2.6 billion expansion to further solidify its status as the principal European gateway to Latin America. The airport also plans to provide services to millions of travelers annually.
(Photo : Unsplash/Bao Menglong)
Madrid's Airport Expansion
To increase its role as Europe's principal gateway to Latin America, the Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas Airport, which serves as Madrid's international airport, will go through an expansion. Aiming to increase the airport's capacity to accommodate 90 million people annually, the project is scheduled to commence operations in 2031. Also, the development of operations at Spain's busiest airport, which is also intended to strengthen the country's connectivity to Asia, is scheduled to occur.
Pedro Sánchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, announced that the airport would receive an investment effort that could potentially amount to $2.6 billion in the United States. He claimed that this airport will have Europe's most significant growth potential. This amount is believed to represent the most critical inflow of funding into the infrastructure of Spanish airports in the ten years up to this point.
Moreover, Sánchez also noted that the expansion plan is anticipated to create hundreds of thousands of direct and indirect job possibilities and augment Madrid's gross domestic product (GDP). According to AENA, the airport operator, there are no plans to construct new terminals; instead, the project will concentrate on redesigning and expanding the existing facilities.
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History of Adolfo Suárez-Madrid Barajas Airport
Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport, commonly referred to as Madrid-Barajas Airport or Barajas, stands as the primary aviation hub serving the vibrant city of Madrid and ranks among the most expansive airports across Spain in terms of size and capacity. Barajas's municipality is approximately 12 kilometers east of the city center. In 1928, the airport began operations under the name Madrid-Barajas Airport. Initially, the airport had a dirt runway and a modest passenger facility. The airport sustained substantial damage during the Spanish Civil War and was required to undergo reconstruction after the battle.
Accordingly. the airport witnessed rapid expansion during the dynamic decades of the 1950s and 1960s, emerging as a pivotal transit point facilitating robust connections between Europe and Latin America. This transformative period marked the initiation of substantial growth initiatives, notably the commencement of construction for the inaugural passenger terminal, designated as Terminal 1, in 1953, followed by the inauguration of Terminal 2 in 1969, solidifying its status as a thriving aviation hub.
Terminal 3 was constructed in 1971 and eventually became the primary passenger terminal at the airport. Terminal 4 was opened to the public in 1986 and quickly became the primary passenger terminal for foreign flights. It has consistently expanded in passenger and cargo traffic over the past few years. In 2018, more than 57 million passengers used Barajas Airport, making it the second-busiest airport in Spain and the tenth-busiest airport in Europe. Additionally, a comprehensive range of amenities, including stores, restaurants, bars, VIP rooms, and several public transportation options, are available at the airport and the terminals for passengers on the facility.
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