Barcelona’s Air Route Development Committee, the CDRA, presented its Strategic Plan 2030 on 1 June 2026 at Barcelona City Council. The plan sets out priorities to strengthen the city’s intercontinental air connectivity and support Catalonia’s position in a more competitive global market.
The strategy shifts the focus towards value-oriented connectivity, with priority given to routes that can bring economic, business, scientific, technological and cultural benefits. The CDRA says this approach is meant to support more stable demand across the year and better match Catalonia’s strategic needs.
Since the committee was created in 2005, it says Barcelona Airport has grown from 1 million intercontinental passengers to nearly 8 million, while destinations have increased from 17 to 59. Total annual passengers at the airport rose from 27.2 million to 57.5 million over the same period.
The CDRA says this growth has gone alongside the expansion of Barcelona and Catalonia’s economic, technology, trade fair and tourism sectors. It also says the airport network has moved from dependence on European hubs and a small number of airlines to a more diversified international model.
The plan’s two main goals are to consolidate Barcelona as an intercontinental hub with more airlines and destinations, and to improve the quality of demand through better seasonal balance and more frequent flights. The CDRA says indirect intercontinental demand also rose to 5.3 million origin and destination passengers in 2025.
Priority markets include Asia-Pacific, China, Japan, India, North America and Latin America. The plan names Tokyo, Delhi and Bangkok among the unserved routes it sees as priorities, alongside Houston, Orlando, Manila, Lima and Lahore. It says more than 70 unserved routes have strategic value for the region and demand potential. More Catalonia news
The CDRA says Barcelona has the assets needed for this next phase of growth, including a strong MICE sector, service quality, a dynamic business and technology base, the ability to attract talent and strong international visibility. Its members are the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce and Aena. For background, see the official Barcelona-El Prat Airport site and the Barcelona City Council website.