Barcelona airport has now had three months of passenger volume higher than the 2019 record and is aiming for a busy summer season thanks to the concentration of international events, such as the America's Cup. In this context of growing demand, the main airlines in El Prat are preparing to grow and preserve their market share. This is what Ryanair will do, with a 14% increase in capacity in Barcelona for the summer air season (runs from April to October), the company confirms.
The Irish low cost will increase its offer of seats in El Prat to 6.2 million, when in the summer of 2023 it offered 5.4 million. It will do so with the same number of based aircraft, 14, but increasing frequencies and routes. In total, it will offer flights to 71 destinations, five of them newly added (Alicante, Tangier, Zadar, Reggio Emilia and Corck, which becomes annual).
Ryanair's move comes after Vueling's announcement to concentrate its operations even more in Barcelona. The IAG airline, with a 42% market share, has chosen to increase flights in El Prat by 7% at a time of stagnation in its capacity throughout its network. The number of Vueling routes from El Prat will not vary too much compared to 2023, with around 90. It is on the daily frequencies of key routes where the IAG company will focus its efforts.
The situation is different for Ryanair, with a global capacity increase of 7% for its current fiscal year. Last year, the Irish airline transported 8.5 million passengers at Barcelona airport, the second operator with a market share of 18%. Vueling moved more than 20.5 million travelers in El Prat out of a total of 49.9 million, according to Aena data. They were followed by Iberia (1.9 million), easyJet (1.47), Lufthansa (1.34) and Wizzair (1.23).
