Ministry of Public Works to boost international connectivity of Barcelona - El Prat

The current agreement establishes the possibility of carrying out a number of weekly flights that has already been exceeded by interests in the sector. The last time that the two authorities agreed an increase in capacity was back in 2004 and, until now, a revision had not been necessary.

The increase in demand over recent years has highlighted a need to update and modernise the bilateral agreement between the two countries to increase capacity. This will favour the development of trade relations with China and will offer a response to the expansion needs expressed by its airlines, which are very interested in increasing their operations to and from Barcelona - El Prat Airport.

To do so, the Spanish Directorate-General of Civil Aviation contacted the Chinese authorities to offer a capacity increase that, if accepted, will facilitate the development of economic, cultural and social relations between the two countries. This will greatly benefit the Spanish tourism sector due to the attractive nature of Spain in the Asian market.

The Barcelona Air Routes Development Committee, which has also expressed its interest in increasing connections between the airport and China, will be kept informed of any progress in the negotiations.

The efforts by the Spanish Directorate-General of Civil Aviation form part of the commitment by the Ministry of Public Works in opening international markets, creating new links and improving the connectivity of Spanish airports.