Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
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| Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport | |
|---|---|
| Name | Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport |
| Image-width | 250 |
| Caption | Terminal 4 |
| IATA | MAD |
| ICAO | LEMD |
| Owner | Enaire |
| Operator | Aena |
| City-served | Madrid |
| Location | Barajas, Madrid |
| Elevation-f | 1998 |
| Elevation-m | 609 |
| Coordinates | 40, 28, 20, N... |
| Website | http://www.aena.es/en/madrid-barajas-airport/index.html |
| R1-number | 14L/32R |
| R1-length-m | 4100 |
| R1-length-f | 13451 |
| R1-surface | Asphalt |
| R2-number | 14R/32L |
| R2-length-m | 4368 |
| R2-length-f | 14331 |
| R2-surface | Asphalt |
| R3-number | 18L/36R |
| R3-length-m | 3500 |
| R3-length-f | 11483 |
| R3-surface | Asphalt |
| R4-number | 18R/36L |
| R4-length-m | 3500 |
| R4-length-f | 11483 |
| R4-surface | Asphalt |
| Stat-year | 2023 |
| Stat1-header | Passengers |
| Stat1-data | 60,200,000 |
| Stat2-header | Aircraft movements |
| Stat2-data | 406,000 |
| Stat3-header | Cargo (tonnes) |
| Stat3-data | 615,000 |
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport. It is the primary international airport serving Madrid, the capital of Spain, and is a major hub for both European and intercontinental travel. Operated by Aena, the airport is a critical gateway to Iberia and a key operational base for the flag carrier Iberia and the low-cost airline Air Europa. Located in the district of Barajas, it features four passenger terminals and four runways, handling over sixty million passengers annually, making it one of the busiest airports in Europe.
History
The airport opened in 1928, initially serving as a military airfield before transitioning to civilian use, with its first commercial flight operated by Iberia to Barcelona. Significant expansion occurred in 1954 with the opening of the first dedicated passenger terminal, and later, a new international terminal was built for the 1982 FIFA World Cup hosted by Spain. A monumental development was the inauguration of the expansive Terminal 4 and Terminal 4 Satellite Building in 2006, designed by architects Antonio Lamela and Richard Rogers. In 2014, the airport was renamed in honor of Adolfo Suárez, the first democratically elected Prime Minister of Spain after the Francoist dictatorship.
Terminals
The airport complex comprises four main passenger terminals: Terminal 1, Terminal 2, and the integrated Terminal 3, which are connected, and the separate, larger Terminal 4 and its Terminal 4 Satellite Building. Terminal 4, a landmark of modern architecture, is primarily used by the Oneworld alliance, including Iberia and its partners like British Airways and American Airlines. Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 handle numerous other international and Schengen Area flights for carriers such as Air France, Lufthansa, and EasyJet, while Terminal 3 is occasionally used for seasonal charter operations.
Airlines and destinations
As a major global hub, the airport hosts a vast network operated by over one hundred airlines connecting Madrid to destinations across six continents. Iberia maintains its largest hub here, with extensive routes throughout Europe, the Americas, Africa, and Asia, including cities like New York, Mexico City, Buenos Aires, and Tokyo. Other significant carriers include Air Europa (a member of SkyTeam), Ryanair, Vueling, and long-haul operators such as Delta Air Lines, Emirates, and Qatar Airways. The airport is also a focus city for Air Nostrum and Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas.
Ground transportation
The airport is well-connected to central Madrid via Metro Line 8, which provides direct access to Terminal 2, Terminal 4, and the city's Nuevos Ministerios transport interchange. Numerous EMT urban bus lines and dedicated Exprés Aeropuerto shuttle services link the terminals to key locations like Atocha railway station and Plaza de Cibeles. For regional and high-speed rail connections, the Adif-operated Madrid-Barajas Airport T4 railway station beneath Terminal 4 offers Cercanías Madrid commuter trains and long-distance Renfe services, including Alvia trains to cities like Barcelona and Seville.
Statistics
Consistently ranked among the top airports in Europe by passenger traffic, it handled approximately 60.2 million passengers in 2023, making it the fifth-busiest on the continent. Aircraft movements exceeded 406,000, while cargo volume surpassed 615,000 tonnes, cementing its role as a leading logistics hub. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, it recorded its busiest year in 2019 with over 61.7 million passengers. The airport is a crucial economic engine for the Community of Madrid and competes directly with other major southern European hubs like Paris–Charles de Gaulle Airport and Frankfurt Airport.
Accidents and incidents
The airport's history includes several notable aviation incidents. In 1983, Iberia Flight 350 crashed during landing in fog, resulting in fatalities. A major disaster occurred in 1985, when Iberia Flight 610 struck a television antenna while approaching Bilbao Airport, though this was not a departure from Madrid. The deadliest accident directly associated with the airport was the Spanair Flight 5022 crash in 2008, where the aircraft, bound for Gran Canaria Airport, crashed on takeoff from Terminal 1, leading to significant investigations by Comisión de Investigación de Accidentes e Incidentes de Aviación Civil and subsequent safety reforms.
Category:Airports in Spain Category:Transport in Madrid Category:Buildings and structures in Madrid Category:1928 establishments in Spain