About Barcelona Private Jet Flights
Barcelona is currently in second place in the European cities featured in the program with more flights than any other airport, followed by Paris. Barcelona is Europe’s fifth busiest airport with nine airports in Europe scoring the highest on the International Air Transport Association’s (IATA) Global Airline Performance Index. For the first time, City Airport, with more international flights and passengers than the Paris region, is included in the ranking.
The prestigious Airline Rankings, created by Air Transport World, is the longest-running and most comprehensive benchmarking survey, which regularly examines the performance of airlines and airports in more than 100 countries. It highlights the relative strengths of airlines and airports and allows passengers to take stock of where to go in terms of air travel across Europe. The rankings take into account the entirety of an airline and airport’s network, including all inbound and outbound flights, passengers, staff and maintenance.
It comes as City Airport celebrates the first two flights of its new 200 aircraft parking position.
It is now evaluating long-term plans for the airport, which is Europe’s second largest, with over 4,000 weekly flights to 60 destinations. The airport features a 2.7-kilometer runway that allows for long-distance flights across Europe, to the Americas, and to most regions of Asia.
Tom Williams, chief executive of City Airport, said: “City Airport has been flying for over 100 years. This ranking highlights the impressive quality of our facilities and the significant impact that City Airport has on the regional and national economy. It is great news to have Barcelona voted as the best city airport in Europe, and Barcelona will forever be a great partner of City Airport.”
Barcelona is one of Europe’s most vibrant cities. Tourism is a key economic driver and accounts for an estimated 11% of the Spanish economy. With hundreds of hotels and nearly seven million tourists arriving every year, there is an opportunity for City Airport to reinforce its ties with the Catalan capital.
The announcement comes as City Airport and City Aviation Group sign a joint framework agreement with the City of Barcelona in Barcelona.
Bradley Wilkinson, president of City Aviation Group, said: “It is great news that Barcelona is voted as the best city airport in Europe. We are focused on helping Barcelona grow its tourism and enhance the city’s status as Europe’s pre-eminent city. We want to strengthen ties with other cities and regions in the European region to expand our networks, strengthen our connections and boost the economy. It is important to note that we are also committed to promoting innovation, technology and improving the travel experience.”
City Airport will join the Barcelona City Aviation Group in 2021, which has grown from 50 to 550 employees with the appointment of two new executive leaders in recent months. Its two executive leaders will focus on the long-term development of Barcelona City Airport, ensuring its success and providing seamless travel for passengers.
Narcis Podrez, chief executive of Barcelona City Tourism, said: “In the next few years, we want Barcelona City Airport to be a key part of our efforts to promote the city and increase its position as one of the world’s best destinations. We are proud to welcome City Airport, which will be a key destination in the Barcelona network. We see City Airport as a great partner to develop the Barcelona tourism industry and ensure that passengers have seamless and enjoyable travel between Barcelona, Europe and the world.”
Alexandre Catala, president of City Aviation Group, said: “I’m proud to welcome Barcelona City Airport as the first joint venture partner of the Barcelona City Aviation Group. Barcelona City Airport is a terrific addition to our group as a top tourism destination. We will develop our regional networks, strengthen our links with other airports, enhance our technology and provide our passengers with a seamless experience across all our airports.”
City Airport is also building a number of modern facilities including a new airport restaurant and a new transfer lounge for City Airport and City Aviation Group’s European routes.
Barcelona City Airport is located in Barcelona. The airport’s name and brand are licensed to the City of Barcelona.
Click here for more information on City Airport.
Barcelona City Airport will be part of City Aviation Group (CityAM), which is the company operating Barcelona City Airport and City Aviation Group’s network of airports.
CityAirport is one of Europe’s best airport networks, operating more than 4,000 flights a week to 60 destinations, and generating over seven million direct and indirect jobs in Europe. Operating more than 4,000 flights a week to 60 destinations, CityAirport is one of Europe’s most connected airports, strengthening its links with the Barcelona region and with Europe.
CityAirport is the first airport in Europe to launch a new passenger transit app. Developed by City Airport to give users access to boarding pass services, connections and other airport services, CityAirport provides easy access to CityAirport’s airport services and offers seamless travel through its airport, city and region.
CityAirport is supported by a dedicated team of experts who help create new services for customers and promote innovation to develop the airport and the network. CityAirport has been recognised by airports, tourism agencies and other airport networks as one of the best airport networks in Europe.
About Berlin Airport
Berlin’s security response is extensive. The security fence between the German capital and Berlin Airport, near the northern railway station, runs alongside the city’s river embankment. Once the passengers are inside the fence, cameras monitor every corner of the airport and can instantly call for help to handle an emergency. Once inside the airport building, travelers have to go through scanners and can only access areas with ticket counters, where they are only required to carry identification cards. All airlines are subject to extra checks and security audits by the Federal Police, while all baggage and freight moving to and from Berlin Airport is checked by German officials.
The German federal police alone has a long list of regulations and rules. Individuals that enter Germany or come in contact with German citizens are required to keep up with a daily report of their whereabouts, carry a passport, and carry their identity card with them at all times. The police checks on individuals are further increased when they are traveling to or through Germany, for example by forcing travelers to show their passport, residence permit, identity card and stay within a city limit. If a foreigner fails to provide such documentation within a designated time, the police may demand them to prove their identity. During that time, they are only allowed to leave their hotel in the presence of the police officer.
At the airport, visitors will observe the stringent rules and the obvious identification criteria at the checkpoints. Passengers arriving at Berlin’s airports will be required to maintain their identification cards on them and with them at all times. They will also have to show them to airport officials at the entrance to each terminal. As for the new flights to the capital, the passengers will be subject to baggage searches and may be subjected to additional security checks after they have landed at Berlin’s international airport. The German capital has already installed strict security measures at its airports, but Germany’s increased security measures in recent years have also resulted in a reduction in human liberties. In September 2021, a decree went into effect that requires people to cooperate with police in cases of terrorist attacks, otherwise they will be subject to penalties of up to €10,000.
Flights to and from Berlin will remain on a regular schedule, even with the change in security measures, and authorities are confident that the changes will not affect the airport’s operation. On September 4, following the last flights of the day, the airport will be closed so that German authorities can implement new security measures.
History of Berlin’s Airport
Berlin-Brandenburg Airport was founded as an airport for commercial and passenger flights in the summer of 1948. Its first flight to the German capital was made by the German Luftwaffe, during the World War II, on September 25, 1944. One year later, a regular passenger flight operated from Berlin to Prague via Frankfurt, while another flight flew directly from the German capital to Hamburg. The construction of Berlin’s new airport required an extensive process and several shifts, since all equipment used was previously used at the German capital’s existing airports. The German Luftwaffe performed the first flight to the German capital on September 25, 1944, during World War II. By the summer of 1948, the airport in Berlin had been completed. The Berlin air force lost several planes to Soviet fighters before the Berlin air force could deploy to the airport. By 1963, the airport began operating for commercial flights and it served approximately 500,000 people in the first year of operation. The construction of Berlin’s airport, which included the construction of Berlin’s twin airports Schönefeld and Stuttgart, cost 623 million Deutsche Marks, making it the most expensive airport construction in history. When the Berlin air force was stationed at Berlin’s central air base at Brandenburg, the existing airfields were renamed Berlin-Brandenburg Airbase. The air force began to move to the airbase in 1962. The first commercial flight from Berlin’s central airbase to Athens took place at the end of September 1963. The air force’s flights to Athens were temporarily suspended after the Soviet Union decided to close the airfield for military flights. On September 26, 1965, German parliament gave the authorities permission to rename the airfield Berlin-Brandenburg Airport, which also became the permanent name of the facility.
The airport has been a key hub for German carriers Lufthansa, Germanwings, and Eurowings since the collapse of the Berlin Wall in 1989. The airports in Berlin and Hamburg have regularly had over 50 percent of their entire passenger traffic passing through Berlin’s airport. During the first quarter of 2021, more than 26.7 million passengers passed through Berlin’s airport, which is an increase of more than 8 percent compared to the same period last year.
Subsequent Growth and Development
Today, Berlin’s airport is one of the major European airports and it is responsible for facilitating over 15 percent of all international passenger traffic in Germany and for 25 percent of all air traffic within Europe. The airport currently has regular flights to over 100 destinations worldwide, including all major international hubs and major cities in Germany. The airport’s central location means it is the only major international airport within a 50-kilometer radius.
During the first half of 2021, Berlin’s airport served a total of 63.5 million passengers, including 23.3 million from domestic flights and 40.3 million from international flights. The airport has the largest duty-free shopping area in Europe, including the three biggest airports in Germany, along with the largest shopping centre in the region. The new central location of the airport will allow more international flights and a lower load factor.
During the next decades, Berlin’s airport will expand and the modernization process will continue until it reaches the necessary capacity in the near future. The Berlin airport’s central location will help it attract a greater number of passengers from other regions. The airport is developing its own transit network and other new passenger transportation services. The airport expects its transit traffic to increase to around 90,000 passengers by 2021.