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Barcelona-El Prat faces 1,080 flights today in its busiest day of Semana Santa
Barcelona-El Prat airport faces its biggest Semana Santa getaway operation this Thursday with 1,080 scheduled flights, after the handling strike was called off at the last minute.
El Prat is experiencing its busiest day of the week today. 1,080 flights are expected this Thursday alone. Traffic exceeds last year’s figures. The return from holidays will also mark a new peak.
The strike at El Prat airport faces this Thursday the highest volume of departures of the whole Easter Week, with 1,080 flights scheduled in a single day. This figure not only represents the weekly maximum, but exceeds by 40 operations the figure for the same public holiday in 2025, reflecting the steady growth of air traffic in Barcelona.
The start of the holidays has driven up activity in the terminals, where passenger and aircraft movements have been noticeable from first thing in the morning. Monday already reached 1,054 flights and another 1,075 departures are expected for Friday, consolidating an upward trend in mobility during these key dates.
In total, El Prat has 11,339 flights scheduled throughout the entire Easter Week period, representing an increase of 2% compared with the previous year. The airport is thus preparing to manage growing demand, both for outbound travel and the return from holidays.
Another peak of activity is expected on Sunday 6 April, with 1,102 flights scheduled to coincide with the mass return of travellers to the city. The combination of good weather and the recovery of tourism has made Barcelona one of the country’s main entry and exit points at this time.
El Prat airport, located a few kilometres from central Barcelona, is one of the main drivers of connectivity for the city and region. Its capacity to absorb large volumes of traffic during holiday periods has been key to local tourism and economic development. The infrastructure has undergone continual improvements in recent years, adapting to new mobility demands and consolidating its strategic role in the Mediterranean.
Operational update (2 Apr 2026): The handling strike was called off at the last minute, so El Prat faces the Easter Week peak without that additional risk. The week’s maximum will be Monday 6 April (1,102 flights), while today, Thursday, is already approaching 1,080 operations and the total for the period stands at 11,339 flights.