Madrid set to boast Europe’s largest and busiest airport

According to TimeOut, Madrid will in the future be able to boast being the host city of Europe’s largest airport.

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MADRID AIRPORT

Madrid’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport is Spain’s primary aviation hub.   

The airport is the biggest and busiest in Spain, providing the capital city with sizable economic impacts. It contributes 9.7 percent of Madrid’s GDP.

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EXPANSION PLANS

The airport is set for a makeover. There are plans to increase the airfield’s capacity, making it the biggest airport in Europe.

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Madrid’s Airports management company (Aena) is planning a major expansion of the airport, to increase its passenger handling capacity.

There are intentions to make it the largest airport in the European Union (EU), with a capacity of processing 90 million people per year. 

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MADRID AIRPORT UPGRADE

The expansion project is not scheduled to begin until 2031. The upgrades have a budget of around 2.4 billion Euros. 

The initiative will also contribute towards job creation in the city. The work will create around 60 000 jobs.

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EUROPEAN HUB

This project means Madrid’s primary airport will overshadow other large European airports, making it Europe’s biggest and busiest international airport.

Planners are hoping that the expanded airport will function as a crucial connection point between America and Asia.

There are plans to create an Asian hub in terminals one, two and three. 

There are currently no scheduled flights connecting South Africa with Spain.

Spain’s national carrier, Iberia, previously operated flights between Johannesburg and Madrid.

However, the airline scrapped the route in 2019, due to profitability reasons.

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