Madrid Barajas International Airport
Encyclopedia
Madrid-Barajas Airport is the main international airport serving Madrid
in Spain. In 2010, over 49.8 million passengers used Madrid-Barajas, making it the country's largest and busiest airport, and in 2009 it was the world's 11th busiest airport
and Europe's fourth busiest airport. It opened in 1928, and has grown to be one of the most important aviation centres of Europe. Located within the city limits of Madrid, just 9 km (5.6 mi) from the city's financial district and 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of the Puerta del Sol
, Madrid's historic centre. The airport name derives from the adjacent district of Barajas
, which has its own metro station on the same rail line serving the airport.
The Madrid-Barcelona
air shuttle
service, known as the "Puente Aéreo" (in Spanish), literally "Air Bridge
", was the busiest air route in Europe, with the highest number of flight operations (971 per week) before 2007. The schedule has been reduced since February 2008, when the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line was opened, covering the distance in 2½ hours, and quickly became popular. Barajas serves as the gateway to the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe and the world, and is a particularly key link between Europe and Latin America. The airport is the primary hub and maintenance base for Iberia
. Consequently, Iberia is responsible for more than 60 percent of Barajas' traffic.
. Later, in the 1930s international flights started to serve some European and African destinations.
Originally, the flight field was a large circle bordered in white with the name of Madrid in its interior, unpaved, consisting of land covered with natural grass. It was not until the 1940s that the flight field was paved and new runways were designed. The first runway which started operation in 1944 was 1,400 metres long and 45 metres wide. By the end of the decade the airport had three runways, none of which exists today. In the late 1940s, scheduled flights to Latin America and the Philippines
started.
In the 1950s, the airport supported over half a million passengers, increasing to 5 runways and scheduled flights to New York City began. The National Terminal, currently T2, began construction in 1954, and was inaugurated later that year. In the Plan of Airports of 1957, Barajas Airport is classified as a first-class international airport. By the 1960s, large jets were landing at Barajas, and the growth of traffic mainly as a result of tourism exceeded forecasts. At the beginning of the decade, the airport reached the 1.2 million passengers, double that envisaged in the Plan of Airports of 1957.
In the 1970s, with the boom in tourism and the arrival of the Boeing 747
, the airport reached 4 million passengers, and began the construction of the international terminal (current T1). In 1974, Iberia
, L.A.E. introduced the shuttle service between Madrid and Barcelona, a service with multiple daily frequencies and available without prior reservation.
The 1982 FIFA World Cup
brought significant expansion and modernisation of the airport's two existing terminals.
In the 1990s, the airport expanded further. In 1994, the first cargo terminal was constructed, and the control tower was renovated. In 1997, it opened the North Dock, which is used as an exclusive terminal for Iberia's Schengen
flights. In 1998, it inaugurated a new control tower, 71 m tall, and then in 1999 the new South Dock opened, which implies an expansion of the international terminal. During this time, the distribution of the terminals changed: The south dock and most of the International Terminal were now called T1, the rest of the International Terminal and Domestic Terminal were now called T2 and the north dock was called T3.
In November 1998, the new runway 18R-36L started operations (replacing the previous 18–36), 4,400 m long, one of the largest in Europe under expansion plans called Major Barajas. In 2000, it began the construction of new terminals T4 and its satellite, T4S, designed by architects Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers
, and two parallel runways to the existing ones.
The new terminals and runways were completed in 2004, but administrative delays and equipment, as well as the controversy over the redeployment of terminals, delayed service until 5 February 2006.
In 2007, the airport processed more than 52 million passengers.
(winning team of the 2006 Stirling Prize
), and TPS Engineers, (winning team of the 2006 IStructE Award for Commercial Structures) was built by Ferrovial
and inaugurated on 5 February 2006. Terminal 4 is one of the world's largest airport terminal
s in terms of area, with 760,000 square meters (8,180,572 square feet) in separate landside and airside structures. It consists of a main building, T4 (470,000 m²), and a satellite building, T4S (290,000 m²), which are approximately 2.5 km apart. The new Terminal 4 is meant to give passengers a stress-free start to their journey. This is managed through careful use of illumination, with glass panes instead of walls, and numerous domes in the roof which allow natural light to pass through. With this new addition, Barajas is designed to handle 70 million passengers annually.
During the construction of Terminal 4, two more runways (15L/33R and 18L/36R) were constructed to aid in the flow of air traffic arriving and departing from Barajas. These runways were officially inaugurated on 5 February 2006 (together with the terminals), but had already been used on several occasions beforehand to test flight and air traffic manoeuvres. Thus, Barajas came to have four runways: two on a north-south axis and parallel to each other (separated by 1.8 km) and two on a northwest-southeast axis (and separated by 2.5 km). This allowed simultaneous takeoffs and landings into the airport, allowing 120 operations an hour (one takeoff or landing every 30 seconds).
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are adjacent terminals that are home to SkyTeam
and Star Alliance
airlines, as well as Air Europa. Terminal 4 is home to Iberia
, its franchise Air Nostrum
and all Oneworld
partner airlines. Gate numbers are continuous in terminals 1, 2 and 3 (A1 to E89), but are separately numbered in terminal 4.
Barajas was voted "Best Airport" in the 2008 Condé Nast Traveller Reader Awards.
In December 2010, the Spanish government announced plans to tender Madrid-Barajas airport to companies in the private sector for a period of up to 40 years.
Note: † denotes charter flights and their destinations
Line connects the airport with city centre station Nuevos Ministerios
in the heart of Madrid’s financial district. The Barajas
Line 8
provides a fast route from the underground stations at Terminal 2 (access to T1 and T3) and Terminal 4 into central Madrid. The metro also provides links to stations on the Spanish railway network. The first ride in the morning leaves from Nuevos Ministerios around 6:05 am, arriving at Terminals 1-2-3 around 6:30, and at Terminal 4 around 6:40.
In October 2006, a bid was launched for the construction of a Cercanías
link between Chamartín Station
and Terminal 4. Now finished, this single Cercanías Line (C-1) links Madrid Barajas Terminal 4, with Chamartín Station
and Atocha AVE high-speed train stations. In June 2011 a decision was made to equip this link with dual gauge
which will allow AVE high-speed trains to reach the airport station.
The Nuevos Ministerios
metro station allowed checking-in right by the AZCA
business area in central Madrid, but this convenience has been suspended indefinitely after the building of Terminal 4.
EMT also have an express bus linking Barajas airport to Renfe's Atocha Station; the main rail station in Madrid.
The EMT public night bus service N4 (nicknamed "Buho", Owl) also services from Madrid downtown (Plaza Cibeles) to Barajas (Plaza de los Hermanos Falcó y Alvarez de Toledo, 400m from the airport through a passageway above the highway).
Madrid
Madrid is the capital and largest city of Spain. The population of the city is roughly 3.3 million and the entire population of the Madrid metropolitan area is calculated to be 6.271 million. It is the third largest city in the European Union, after London and Berlin, and its metropolitan...
in Spain. In 2010, over 49.8 million passengers used Madrid-Barajas, making it the country's largest and busiest airport, and in 2009 it was the world's 11th busiest airport
World's busiest airports by passenger traffic
The world's busiest airports by passenger traffic are measured by number of total passengers . One passenger is described as someone who arrives in, departs from, or transfers through the airport on a given day...
and Europe's fourth busiest airport. It opened in 1928, and has grown to be one of the most important aviation centres of Europe. Located within the city limits of Madrid, just 9 km (5.6 mi) from the city's financial district and 13 km (8.1 mi) northeast of the Puerta del Sol
Puerta del Sol
The Puerta del Sol is one of the best known and busiest places in Madrid. This is the centre of the radial network of Spanish roads. The square also contains the famous clock whose bells mark the traditional eating of the Twelve Grapes and the beginning of a new year...
, Madrid's historic centre. The airport name derives from the adjacent district of Barajas
Barajas (district)
Barajas is the name of a district belonging to the city of Madrid, Spain.-Subdivision:The district is administratively divided into 5 wards :*Aeropuerto*Alameda de Osuna *Casco Histórico de Barajas...
, which has its own metro station on the same rail line serving the airport.
The Madrid-Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
air shuttle
Air shuttle
An air shuttle is a scheduled airline service that operates a frequent, regular service on short routes with a simplified fare and class structure. Although no exact specifications exist, frequency is normally once per hour or more often and travel time is typically an hour or less, although longer...
service, known as the "Puente Aéreo" (in Spanish), literally "Air Bridge
World's busiest passenger air routes
The busiest air routes in the world appear to involve pairs of large cities in close proximity, but which rely more on air transport due to a lack of High Speed Rail, and the distance is large enough to discourage car driving...
", was the busiest air route in Europe, with the highest number of flight operations (971 per week) before 2007. The schedule has been reduced since February 2008, when the Madrid–Barcelona high-speed rail line was opened, covering the distance in 2½ hours, and quickly became popular. Barajas serves as the gateway to the Iberian peninsula from the rest of Europe and the world, and is a particularly key link between Europe and Latin America. The airport is the primary hub and maintenance base for Iberia
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
. Consequently, Iberia is responsible for more than 60 percent of Barajas' traffic.
History
The airport was constructed in 1927, opening to national and international air traffic on 22 April 1931, although regular commercial operations began two years later. A small terminal was constructed with a capacity for 30,000 passengers a year, in addition to several hangars and the building of the Avión Club. The first regular flight was established by Lineas Aéreas Postales Españolas (LAPE) with its line to BarcelonaBarcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
. Later, in the 1930s international flights started to serve some European and African destinations.
Originally, the flight field was a large circle bordered in white with the name of Madrid in its interior, unpaved, consisting of land covered with natural grass. It was not until the 1940s that the flight field was paved and new runways were designed. The first runway which started operation in 1944 was 1,400 metres long and 45 metres wide. By the end of the decade the airport had three runways, none of which exists today. In the late 1940s, scheduled flights to Latin America and the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
started.
In the 1950s, the airport supported over half a million passengers, increasing to 5 runways and scheduled flights to New York City began. The National Terminal, currently T2, began construction in 1954, and was inaugurated later that year. In the Plan of Airports of 1957, Barajas Airport is classified as a first-class international airport. By the 1960s, large jets were landing at Barajas, and the growth of traffic mainly as a result of tourism exceeded forecasts. At the beginning of the decade, the airport reached the 1.2 million passengers, double that envisaged in the Plan of Airports of 1957.
In the 1970s, with the boom in tourism and the arrival of the Boeing 747
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a wide-body commercial airliner and cargo transport, often referred to by its original nickname, Jumbo Jet, or Queen of the Skies. It is among the world's most recognizable aircraft, and was the first wide-body ever produced...
, the airport reached 4 million passengers, and began the construction of the international terminal (current T1). In 1974, Iberia
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
, L.A.E. introduced the shuttle service between Madrid and Barcelona, a service with multiple daily frequencies and available without prior reservation.
The 1982 FIFA World Cup
1982 FIFA World Cup
The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:...
brought significant expansion and modernisation of the airport's two existing terminals.
In the 1990s, the airport expanded further. In 1994, the first cargo terminal was constructed, and the control tower was renovated. In 1997, it opened the North Dock, which is used as an exclusive terminal for Iberia's Schengen
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
flights. In 1998, it inaugurated a new control tower, 71 m tall, and then in 1999 the new South Dock opened, which implies an expansion of the international terminal. During this time, the distribution of the terminals changed: The south dock and most of the International Terminal were now called T1, the rest of the International Terminal and Domestic Terminal were now called T2 and the north dock was called T3.
In November 1998, the new runway 18R-36L started operations (replacing the previous 18–36), 4,400 m long, one of the largest in Europe under expansion plans called Major Barajas. In 2000, it began the construction of new terminals T4 and its satellite, T4S, designed by architects Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers
Richard Rogers
Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
, and two parallel runways to the existing ones.
The new terminals and runways were completed in 2004, but administrative delays and equipment, as well as the controversy over the redeployment of terminals, delayed service until 5 February 2006.
In 2007, the airport processed more than 52 million passengers.
Barajas today
Terminal 4, designed by Antonio Lamela and Richard RogersRichard Rogers
Richard George Rogers, Baron Rogers of Riverside CH Kt FRIBA FCSD is a British architect noted for his modernist and functionalist designs....
(winning team of the 2006 Stirling Prize
Stirling Prize
The Royal Institute of British Architects Stirling Prize is a British prize for excellence in architecture. It is named after the architect James Stirling, organised and awarded annually by the Royal Institute of British Architects...
), and TPS Engineers, (winning team of the 2006 IStructE Award for Commercial Structures) was built by Ferrovial
Ferrovial
Ferrovial, S.A. is a Spanish multinational company involved in the design, build, financing, operation and maintenance of transport, urban and services infrastructure. It is a publicly-traded company and is part of the IBEX 35 market value-weighted stock market index...
and inaugurated on 5 February 2006. Terminal 4 is one of the world's largest airport terminal
Airport terminal
An airport terminal is a building at an airport where passengers transfer between ground transportation and the facilities that allow them to board and disembark from aircraft....
s in terms of area, with 760,000 square meters (8,180,572 square feet) in separate landside and airside structures. It consists of a main building, T4 (470,000 m²), and a satellite building, T4S (290,000 m²), which are approximately 2.5 km apart. The new Terminal 4 is meant to give passengers a stress-free start to their journey. This is managed through careful use of illumination, with glass panes instead of walls, and numerous domes in the roof which allow natural light to pass through. With this new addition, Barajas is designed to handle 70 million passengers annually.
During the construction of Terminal 4, two more runways (15L/33R and 18L/36R) were constructed to aid in the flow of air traffic arriving and departing from Barajas. These runways were officially inaugurated on 5 February 2006 (together with the terminals), but had already been used on several occasions beforehand to test flight and air traffic manoeuvres. Thus, Barajas came to have four runways: two on a north-south axis and parallel to each other (separated by 1.8 km) and two on a northwest-southeast axis (and separated by 2.5 km). This allowed simultaneous takeoffs and landings into the airport, allowing 120 operations an hour (one takeoff or landing every 30 seconds).
Terminals 1, 2 and 3 are adjacent terminals that are home to SkyTeam
SkyTeam
SkyTeam, branded as SKYTEAM, is an airline alliance with its centralised management team, SkyTeam Central, based at the World Trade Center Schiphol Airport on the grounds of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol in Haarlemmermeer, Netherlands...
and Star Alliance
Star Alliance
Star Alliance is the world's first and largest airline alliance, headquartered in Frankfurt am Main, Germany . The alliance was founded in 1997 by five of the world's leading airlines: Air Canada, Lufthansa, Scandinavian Airlines, Thai Airways International and United Airlines...
airlines, as well as Air Europa. Terminal 4 is home to Iberia
Iberia Airlines
Iberia Líneas Aéreas de España, S.A., commonly known as Iberia, is the flag carrier airline of Spain. Based in Madrid, it operates an international network of services from its main bases of Madrid-Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport....
, its franchise Air Nostrum
Air Nostrum
Air Nostrum, Líneas Aéreas del Mediterráneo, S.A., also known as Iberia Regional, is a regional airline based in Valencia, Spain. Air Nostrum is an independent carrier which operates as a franchisee of Iberia Airlines. Iberia Regional franchise is a regional partner of Iberia and an affiliate...
and all Oneworld
Oneworld
Oneworld , branded as oneworld, is one of the world's three largest global airline alliances with its central management team, oneworld Management Company, based in New York City, New York, USA. Oneworld was founded in 1999 by American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific...
partner airlines. Gate numbers are continuous in terminals 1, 2 and 3 (A1 to E89), but are separately numbered in terminal 4.
Barajas was voted "Best Airport" in the 2008 Condé Nast Traveller Reader Awards.
In December 2010, the Spanish government announced plans to tender Madrid-Barajas airport to companies in the private sector for a period of up to 40 years.
Passenger numbers
| Passengers | Aircraft Movements | Cargo (tonnes) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 34,050,215 | 375,558 | 295,944 |
| 2002 | 33,915,302 | 368,029 | 295,711 |
| 2003 | 35,855,861 | 383,804 | 307,026 |
| 2004 | 38,718,614 | 401,503 | 341,177 |
| 2005 | 42,146,784 | 415,704 | 333,138 |
| 2006 | 45,799,983 | 434,959 | 325,702 |
| 2007 | 52,110,787 | 483,292 | 325,201 |
| 2008 | 50,846,494 | 469,746 | 329,187 |
| 2009 | 48,437,147 | 435,187 | 302,863 |
| 2010 | 49,863,504 | 433,683 | 373,380 |
| Source: Aena Statistics Aena Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea , literally "Spanish Airports and Air Navigation", is the Spanish public body that owns and operates the majority of airports in Spain, with the exceptions of the private owned Ciudad Reals and Lleida-Alguaire Airport. Aena is also responsible for Air... |
|||
Route statistics
| Rank | City | Passengers | Top Carriers |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Barcelona, Catalonia |
3,106,678 | Air Europa, Iberia, Spanair, Vueling Airlines |
| 2 |  Palma de Mallorca, Balearic IslandsPalma de Mallorca Airport Palma de Mallorca Airport is an airport located east of Palma, Majorca, adjacent to the village of Can Pastilla. Also known as Son Sant Joan Airport or Aeroport de Son Sant Joan, it is the third largest airport in Spain, after Madrid's Barajas Airport and Barcelona Airport... |
1,694,854 | Air Berlin, Air Europa, Iberia, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 3 |  Gran Canaria, Canary Islands |
1,561,475 | Air Europa, Iberia, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 4 | Tenerife-North, Canary Islands |
1,316,014 | Air Europa, Iberia, Spanair |
| 5 | .svg.png) Valencia, Valencian CommunityValencia Airport Valencia Airport in Manises , also known as Manises Airport, is the 8th busiest Spanish airport in terms of passengers and second in the region after Alicante. It is situated west of the city of Valencia. The airport has flight connections to about 15 European countries and 4.9 million passengers... |
1,023,681 | Air Nostrum, Iberia, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 6 | Alicante, Valencian Community Alicante Airport Alicante Airport , , originally named El Altet, is the sixth busiest airport in Spain, and the main airport for the Province of Alicante and the Region of Murcia. The airport is situated southwest of Alicante and east of Elche in the municipality of Elche on Mediterranean coast. Up to eighty... |
884,006 | Iberia, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 7 |  Bilbao, Basque CountryBilbao Airport Bilbao Airport is a public airport located north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in the Basque Country. It is the most important airport of the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 4,172,903 passengers on 2008... |
837,966 | Iberia, Spanair |
| 8 |  Santiago de Compostela, GaliciaSantiago de Compostela Airport Santiago de Compostela Airport - Lavacolla is one of the three international airports in Galicia, Spain. It is located in Lavacolla, a town in the outskirts of Galicia's capital city, Santiago de Compostela. In 2010, 2,172,869 passengers passed through it.... |
836,415 | Air Europa, Iberia, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 9 | Vigo, Galicia Vigo-Peinador Airport Vigo Airport is east from the centre of Vigo, and is situated in the municipalities of Redondela, Vigo and Mos, Spain. In 2010, 1.093.571 passengers and 901 tonnes of goods passed through the airport.- History :... |
663,285 | Air Europa, Iberia |
| 10 |  Málaga, AndalusiaMálaga Airport Málaga Airport , also known as Malaga Costa Del Sol Airport and Pablo Ruiz Picasso Airport, is the fourth busiest airport in Spain after Madrid-Barajas, Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca. It is an important airport for Spanish tourism as it is the main international airport serving the Costa Del Sol.... |
618,505 | Iberia, Spanair |
| 11 | Ibiza, Balearic Islands Ibiza Airport Ibiza Airport is the airport serving the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera in Spain, used by 95% of all people who arrive at or depart from these two islands... |
611,481 | Air Europa, Air Nostrum, EasyJet, Spanair, Vueling Airlines |
| 12 | A Coruña, Galicia A Coruña Airport A Coruña Airport , formerly known as Alvedro Airport, is the airport serving the Galician city of A Coruña in northwestern Spain. The airport is located in the municipality of Culleredo, approximately from the city center. It is a part of the network of airports managed by Aena, a Spanish... |
609,758 | Iberia, Spanair |
| 13 | Lanzarote, Canary Islands |
581,010 | Air Europa, EasyJet, Iberia, Iberworld, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 14 |  Asturias, Principality of AsturiasAsturias Airport Asturias Airport, is the main airport of Asturias, Spain, in Castrillón.Asturias airport is located in Santiago del Monte, municipality of Castrillon, 15 km from Avilés, 40 km from Gijón and 47 km from Oviedo.... |
560,267 | Air Europa, Iberia |
| 15 | Jerez de la Frontera, Andalusia Jerez Airport Jerez Airport , also known as La Parra Airport, is an airport located northeast of Jerez de la Frontera in Southern Spain, about from Sevilla and from Cadiz... |
449,107 | Iberia, Ryanair |
| 16 | Tenerife-South, Canary Islands Tenerife South Airport Tenerife South Airport , previously known as Tenerife South-Reina Sofia Airport, is one of two international airports located on the island of Tenerife, the largest of the Canary Islands . Between its opening and the end of 2006, a total of 173,912,207 passengers passed through the airport... |
403,938 | Air Europa, Iberia, Ryanair, Spanair |
| 17 | Seville, Andalusia San Pablo Airport - Statistics :Passenger numbers and operations since 2000:- External links :** - Official Airport Website - Statistics :Passenger numbers (in thousands) and operations since 2000:- External links :** - Official Airport Website - Statistics :Passenger numbers (in thousands) and operations since... |
385,115 | Iberia |
| 18 |  Santander, CantabriaSantander Airport Santander Airport is an international airport near Santander, Spain and the only airport in Cantabria. The airport has been extended and refurbished in the last couple of years. In 2009 the airport handled 958,157 passengers and 18,753 flights, far more than in 1995 when it handled only 180,000... |
370,696 | Air Nostrum, Ryanair |
| 19 | Fuerteventura, Canary Islands |
366,229 | Air Europa, EasyJet, Iberia, Iberworld, Spanair |
| 20 | Granada, Andalusia |
335,437 | Iberia |
Airlines and destinations
Note: † denotes charter flights and their destinations
Cargo airlines
Ground transport
Rail
The Madrid MetroMadrid Metro
The Madrid Metro is a metro system serving the city of Madrid, capital of Spain. The system is the sixth longest metro in the world though Madrid is approximately the fiftieth most populous metropolitan area in the world...
Line connects the airport with city centre station Nuevos Ministerios
Nuevos Ministerios Station
Nuevos Ministerios is a large station serving lines 6, 8 and 10 of the Madrid Metro. It is a regional commuter railways station too, on lines C-2, C-3, C-4, C-7, C-8 and C-10.This station opened on 21 May 2002...
in the heart of Madrid’s financial district. The Barajas
Line 8 (Madrid Metro)
Line 8 of the Madrid Metro opened between Mar de Cristal and Campo de las Naciones on 24 June 1998. An extension to Barajas via Madrid Airport was opened in 1999 and in 2002 an extension to Nuevos Ministerios and Colombia opened. Originally this line was a small-profile line, but in 2002 it became...
provides a fast route from the underground stations at Terminal 2 (access to T1 and T3) and Terminal 4 into central Madrid. The metro also provides links to stations on the Spanish railway network. The first ride in the morning leaves from Nuevos Ministerios around 6:05 am, arriving at Terminals 1-2-3 around 6:30, and at Terminal 4 around 6:40.
In October 2006, a bid was launched for the construction of a Cercanías
Cercanías Madrid
Cercanías Madrid is the commuter rail service that serves Madrid, the capital of Spain, and its metropolitan area. It is operated by Cercanías Renfe, the commuter rail division of RENFE, the former monopoly of rail services in Spain. The system is infamous for being the target of the 11 March 2004...
link between Chamartín Station
Chamartín Station
Madrid Chamartín is the name of the second major railway station in Madrid, Spain. Positioned on the north side of the city, it was built prior to the time of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, between 1970 and 1975, although subsequent work would be carried on into the early 1980s. At that time it...
and Terminal 4. Now finished, this single Cercanías Line (C-1) links Madrid Barajas Terminal 4, with Chamartín Station
Chamartín Station
Madrid Chamartín is the name of the second major railway station in Madrid, Spain. Positioned on the north side of the city, it was built prior to the time of the 1982 FIFA World Cup, between 1970 and 1975, although subsequent work would be carried on into the early 1980s. At that time it...
and Atocha AVE high-speed train stations. In June 2011 a decision was made to equip this link with dual gauge
Dual gauge
A dual-gauge or mixed-gauge railway has railway track that allows trains of different gauges to use the same track. Generally, a dual-gauge railway consists of three rails, rather than the standard two rails. The two outer rails give the wider gauge, while one of the outer rails and the inner rail...
which will allow AVE high-speed trains to reach the airport station.
The Nuevos Ministerios
Nuevos Ministerios Station
Nuevos Ministerios is a large station serving lines 6, 8 and 10 of the Madrid Metro. It is a regional commuter railways station too, on lines C-2, C-3, C-4, C-7, C-8 and C-10.This station opened on 21 May 2002...
metro station allowed checking-in right by the AZCA
AZCA
Acronym for Asociación Mixta de Compensación de la Manzana A de la Zona Comercial de la Avenida del Generalísimo , in Madrid, Spain....
business area in central Madrid, but this convenience has been suspended indefinitely after the building of Terminal 4.
EMT Bus
EMT (Madrid Municipal Transport Company) runs regular public bus services between the airport and Madrid (Avenida de América station): bus 200 runs as a complete line – dropping passengers off at departures of terminals 1, 2 and 4 before collecting passengers in the reverse order at arrivalsEMT also have an express bus linking Barajas airport to Renfe's Atocha Station; the main rail station in Madrid.
The EMT public night bus service N4 (nicknamed "Buho", Owl) also services from Madrid downtown (Plaza Cibeles) to Barajas (Plaza de los Hermanos Falcó y Alvarez de Toledo, 400m from the airport through a passageway above the highway).
Airport parking
Long- and short-term car parking is provided at the airport with seven public parking areas. P1 is an outdoor car park located in front of the terminal building; P2 is an indoor car park with direct access to terminals T2 and T3. A Parking 'Express' facility, available for short periods only, is located at Terminal 2, and dedicated long-term parking is also available with 1,655 spaces; a free shuttle operates between the long-stay car park and all terminals. There are also VIP car parks.Accidents and incidents
- On 30 September 1972, Douglas C-47B EC-AQE of SpantaxSpantaxSpantax S.A. was a Spanish airline that operated from 1959 to 1988. Its head office was located in Madrid.-Formative years:Spanish Air Taxi Líneas Aéreas S.A. was founded on 6 October 1959 by ex-Iberia pilot Rodolfo Bay Wright and ex-Iberia flight attendant Marta Estades Sáez...
crashed on take-off. The aircraft was being used for training duties and the student pilot over-rotated and stalled. One of the six people on board were killed.
- On 27 November 1983, Avianca Flight 011Avianca Flight 011Avianca Flight 011, registration HK-2910 , was a Boeing 747-283B on an international scheduled passenger flight from Frankfurt via Paris, Madrid, and Caracas to Bogotá....
crashed while attempting to land. Flight 011 struck a series of hills, causing the plane's right wing to break off. The 747 then cartwheeled, shattering into five pieces before coming to rest upside-down. Only 11 of the 169 passengers survived – there were no survivors among the 23 crew.
- On 7 December 1983, Iberia 727 Flight 350 collided during takeoff with Aviaco DC9 Flight 134. The Aviaco DC9 had accidentally entered the runway as the Iberia flight was taking off. 135 people were killed, including 93 from the Iberia and 42 from the Aviaco.
- On 15 July 2006, the winglet of a Thai Airways InternationalThai Airways InternationalThai Airways International Public Company Limited is the national flag carrier and largest airline of Thailand. Formed in 1988, the airline's headquarters are located in Chatuchak District, Bangkok, and operates out of Suvarnabhumi Airport. Thai is a founding member of the Star Alliance. Thai is a...
Boeing 747–400 HS-TGY operating flight TG943 from Madrid Barajas Airport in Spain to Rome Leonardo da Vinci-Fiumicino Airport cut off the tail of an Air France ERJ-145 while taxing to the runway for take-off. No injuries were reported.
- On the morning of 30 December 2006, an explosion took place in the carpark building module D attached to Terminal 4. A bomb threatBomb threatA bomb threat is generally defined as a threat, usually verbal or written, to detonate an explosive or incendiary device to cause property damage, death, or injuries, whether or not such a device actually exists...
was phoned in at approximately 8:15 local time (7:15 GMT), with the caller stating that a car bomb carried with 800 kg of explosive would explode at 9:00 local time (8:00 GMT). After receipt of the warning, police were able to evacuate part of the airport. Later, an anonymous caller stated that ETAETAETA , an acronym for Euskadi Ta Askatasuna is an armed Basque nationalist and separatist organization. The group was founded in 1959 and has since evolved from a group promoting traditional Basque culture to a paramilitary group with the goal of gaining independence for the Greater Basque Country...
claims responsibility for the bombing. As a result of the explosion, two Ecuadorians who were sleeping in their cars died. The whole module D of the car park was levelled to the ground, around 40,000 tonnes of debris. It took six days to recover the body of the second victim from the rubble.
- On 20 August 2008, Spanair Flight 5022Spanair Flight 5022Spanair Flight JK 5022, from Barajas Airport in Madrid to Gran Canaria Airport in Gran Canaria, Spain, crashed just after take off from runway 36L of Barajas Airport at 14:24 CEST on 20 August 2008. The aircraft was a McDonnell Douglas MD-82, registration EC-HFP...
which was travelling to Gran Canaria, veered off to the right and into the ground while climbing immediately after lifting off from runway 36L at 14:45 local time. The McDonnell Douglas (now Boeing) MD-82 with registration "EC-HFP", was carrying 172 people, including 162 passengers. In the accident, 154 people were killed, 2 were seriously injured and 12 were slightly injured. Prime Minister Zapatero ordered 3 days of national mourning.
- On 3 December 2010, during the Spanish air traffic controllers strikeSpanish air traffic controllers strikeThe Spanish air traffic controllers strike began on December 3, 2010 when most air traffic controllers in Spanish airports walked out in a coordinated wildcat strike...
, Madrid-Barajas Airport remained unoperative when all spanish air traffic controllers walked out in a coordinated wildcat strikeWildcat strike actionA wildcat strike action, often referred to as a wildcat strike, is a strike action taken by workers without the authorization of their trade union officials. This is sometimes termed unofficial industrial action...
. Following the walkout, the Spanish Government authorized the Spanish military to take over air traffic control operations. On the morning of 4 December, the government declared a 'State of Alert', ordering on the controllers back to work. Shortly after the measure was implemented, controllers started returning to work and the strike was called off.