WHY THIS 3rd RUNWAY ?
7TH CHAPTER - THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE BARCELONA AIRPORT
7) In October of 1999, the 'Ministerio de Fomento' (Spanish Ministry for
Infrastructure and Transportation) approved the Master Plan for the Barcelona
Airport that AENA had prepared. Its contents became known as the BARCELONA
PLAN.
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A) WHAT IS THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE AIRPORT ?
The Master Plan for the airport is a planning tool with a strictly not urban airport nature, whose necessity is supported by article 166 of Law 13/1996, from December 30th, on Tax, Administrative and Social Order Measures, developed by the Royal Decree 2591/1998, from December 4th, on the Regulation of Airports of General Interest and their Service Zone.
- Ministerial Order from which the Master Plan for the airport is approved
Article 166 of Law 13/1996 points out that the 'Ministerio de Fomento' will draw up the boundaries for a service zone for the airports of general interest. Furthermore, it will approve the corresponding Master Plan, which will include the activities mentioned in article 39 of the Aerial Navigation Law from July 21st, 1960. It also adds that the general urban regulation plans will categorize the airports and their service zones as general airport systems, which will be developed by means of a special plan prepared by AENA and approved by the appropriate urban administration.
Moreover, construction carried out in the airport environment by AENA will not be subject to preventive municipal control acts.
The public administrations that are affected by the delimitation of the airport service zone and are competent in territory classification and urbanism must be informed. They have the right to present allegations within one month of receiving the documentation.
The Master Plan's aim is to give answers to the problems caused by the complexity of airport infrastructure and the growing development of air traffic and transportation.
The Master Plan for the airport is assigned to set the boundaries of a service zone for airports of general interest including reserve spaces that guarantee the development and expansion of the airport. Also it determines which airport activities and complements should be carried out in the appropriate zones within the precinct of the airport and its service zone.
The content of the Master Plan is defined in article 3 of the Royal Decree 2591/1998, which points out that it must contain :
- Aeronautic spaces integrated into the national help network for air navigation
- Control services for air traffic
- Infrastructures for the movement of aircrafts
- Airport activity zones with the complement buildings and facilities for aircraft service
- Airport buildings and facilities that are necessary for the movement and transportation of travelers and merchandise
- Parking and access zones for people and vehicles
- Spaces for complementary activities
- Service networks necessary for the correct operation of the airport infrastructure
- The airport service ways
- The airport's road and railway access
- The representation of the final stage of the general airport system
The Master Plan will include, moreover, the decisions needed so that the non-aeronautic public authorities can have the available spaces required for the development of their activities and services offered in the airport precinct. Furthermore, it will determine the spaces and surfaces required to make possible, if needed, the deployment of military aircrafts and their means of support. It will collect the necessary specifications in relation to national defense interests and the control of Spanish air space established by the Ministry of Defense.
Given that it is a general interest airport, the preparation of the Master Plan for the Barcelona airport is undertaken by the public entity AENA, 'Aeropuertos Españoles y Navegación Aérea' ('Spanish Airports and Air Navigation'), following the guidelines established by the General Secretary of Transportation of the 'Ministerio de Fomento'.
Concretely, it is AENA's Management for Infrastructure Planning that is responsible for its elaboration as well as for watching over the updating of such documents.
The approval of the Master Plan corresponds to the 'Ministerio de Fomento', at the suggestion of the General Secretary of Transportation, subject to a report by the General Management of Civil Aviation.
B) WHAT WERE THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE MASTER PLAN FOR THE BARCELONA AIRPORT ?
After a long planning process, the Barcelona Plan was formally put into motion in October 1999, when the 'Ministerio de Fomento' approved the new Master Plan for the Barcelona airport.
The Barcelona Plan is the third largest transformation project of the Barcelona airport since those of 1968 and 1992. It studies the modernization of the current installations, the construction of a third runway, a new terminal area, new road and railway access and the urbanization of more than 300 hectares into a service zone for the airport's industrial and commercial development.
The Barcelona Plan, understood as a set of actions that will be undertaken in the Barcelona airport up until 2007, is one of the greatest airport infrastructure operations in Europe and worldwide. According to AENA, they are practically building, with "exquisite respect for the surroundings", an entirely new airport.
To implement the Plan, the Executive Office of the Barcelona Plan was set up. It is a team comprised of more than eighty professionals heading a conception, design, and construction project for the new airport 'in situ'.
One of the basic objectives of all the actions is to try to achieve minimal interferences with the airport's normal operations during the construction process.
Source: El País
The modernization program of the current installations came to an end in the first trimester of 2003 as the new international module M-5 was put into service. Before, the new module for regional aviation (M-0), more than 5,000 parking spots and more than 1,500 square meters of new commercial offers in the present terminal had been put into service. In October 2004 the third runway began operating and it was expected that the new south terminal would be operational at the end of 2007 (or the first trimester of 2008).
C) WHAT WERE THE MASTER PLAN'S DEVELOPMENTAL STAGES ?
The actions carried out by the Barcelona Plan are divided into two phases :
Phase 1. (2001-2003)
It brings together the immediate actions aimed at absorbing traffic of up to 26 million travelers, while waiting for the third runway and the new terminal area to become operational. The actions were the following:
- Construction of a new module 0 for regional aviation, in service since the summer of 2001.
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- Expansion of terminal A (module M5) to 24,000 m2 and six additional footbridges in service since July 2003 (designed by Ricard Bofill's Architecture Workshop)
| Before building module M5 | Module M5 built | |
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- Remodeling of terminal B and expansion of commercial service zones, in service since May 2003
- Construction of two new parking structures in front of terminals A and C with a capacity of more than 5,000 vehicles. Both are already operational
- Expansion up to 100,000 m2 of the aircraft parking platform in the loading zone, in service since the beginning of 2002
- Installation of Category II/III ILS systems, operational since October 2001
- Improvement of the air freight center with a new general service building and parking, operational since the beginning of 2001
- New internal taxying area for the current platform
This phase concentrated on the construction of the new south terminal and the new third runway, which would allow for the number of operations per hour to double.
Other actions exist such as :
- New road and railway access to the new south terminal
- New aeronautic service center
- New industrial center
- The Airport City.
D) WHAT WILL BE THE NEW FLYING FIELDS ?<
More flying field capacity means more SLOTS so that the air companies can establish new aerial services and greater regularity in operations.
The Barcelona Plan considered almost doubling the current flying field's capacity by means of the construction of the new runway 07R-25L on the sea side, parallel to the current runway 07L-25R; increasing the longitude and width of the current main runway to adapt it to the new generation of high capacity aircrafts, and constructing a system of more than 12km of taxiways to make the movement of the planes smoother and to reduce interferences of movements.
In September
2004, the third runway was inaugurated and put
into service, parallel to the main runway. This new infrastructure
is equipped with runway lighting installations of maximum category and
with Category II/III ILS systems on each end. 
This allows them to be used in both directions and in foggy conditions.
- NEW THIRD RUNWAY
The construction of a third runway parallel to runway 07L-25R was one of the basic objectives of the Barcelona Master Plan. On September 28, 2004, the Minister of 'Fomento', Magdalena Álvarez, presided over the putting in motion of the third runway, which allowed a flight capacity of up to 90 operations per hour.
Barcelona thus has three runways available (07L-25R, 07R-25L and 02-20) of 3,743 x 60 meters, 2,660 x 60 meters and 2,540 x 45 meters, with a capacity of 90 operations per hour. With the configuration of two parallel runways, it would be possible to carry out independent instrumental operations on both runways with the objective of converting the airport into a HUB.
The third
runway is 2,660 meters long and it is at a distance of 1,350 meters from
runway 07L-25R, between the
Ricarda
and Remolar
lagoons. This new runway respects the zones declared as natural reserves
located on both ends. This new infrastructure is equipped with runway
light installations of maximum category and with navigation systems (ILS)
on both ends.
Construction on the third runway has involved other actions such as a new power station, the construction of taxiways, the leveling of the parking platform and runway lighting of the entire flying field. All of this has entailed:
- Land excavation of more than 5.1 million meters cubed
- The use of 2.5 million meters of electric cables
- 3.8 million meters cubed of embankments
- 3.5 million meters cubed of fillers
- 2.8 million meters cubed of granular layers
- 250,000 meters cubed of concrete
- 5.6 tons of steel
- 1,850,000 tons of bituminous mixture
- 2 million meters cubed of sowing and plantations
- The installation of 13,000 beacons.
- EXPANSION OF RUNWAY 07L-25R
Runway 07L-25R has been lengthened from 3,108 meters to 3,743 meters and widened to 60 meters, which will permit large sized aircrafts, such as the upcoming A380, to operate on it.
This expansion should allow for landings on the third runway and takeoffs from runway 07L-25R until the new South Terminal is built.
The later construction of a BY-PASS (prior to the completion of the new South Terminal) to minimize the acoustic impact on the inhabitants of the Baix Llobregat coast will require a role change for the runways. Takeoffs will then be performed from the third runway and landings on the main runway.
E) WHAT WILL THE TERMINALS BE LIKE ?
The Master Plan guides the airport's development towards a two terminal system due to the fact that this is the model that best caters to its own configuration conditions, to air companies requirements and to the basic airport processes (aircrafts, passengers, and baggage).
Other recent
airport development models have also backed this method: the new T2 in
the Airport of Munich, the new terminal area T4 of Madrid-Barajas, the new
midfield terminal in Detroit or the new T5 in London-Heathrow.
To make available two terminal areas will mean that the new airport will
have a competitive advantage:
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There will be no first or second class terminals. There will be two grand terminal
areas for a grand airport. Fifteen years into the future the construction
of a satellite building on the other side of the transverse runway is
anticipated.
- TERMINAL T2: NORTH TERMINAL (CURRENT TERMINAL)
The Master Plan studied the expansion and modernization of the current terminals to increase their capacity up to 26 million travelers per year. Construction undertaken has affected terminals A and B.
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Since July
2001, the new module 0 for regional aviation has been up and running.
In 2003 reforms were undertaken on terminal B (a new commercial zone and
improvement of the baggage pick up zone) and the expansion of terminal
A was inaugurated, which provided for a new boarding module, the M-5,
supplied with six footbridges for international and European Union flights.
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With this program the terminals from the year 1999 expanded more than 30,000 m2 (30 percent of the surface that existed before the approval of the Master Plan), with nine additional contact positions (on the 24 footbridges and 103,000 m2 that existed before the Master Plan), eleven additional boarding gates in secluded areas (in addition to the 20 gates existing before the expansion), five more baggage carousels for luggage pick up (in addition to the 15 that already existed) and 5,000 more vehicle parking spots.
- TERMINAL T1: NEW SOUTH TERMINAL
The construction
of the new terminal area in the space between the current runways together
with the third runway project is the most emblematic project of the Barcelona
airport expansion.
Investment in construction rises to 478'347 million
euros, 140 million
euros will go towards the construction of a new aircraft platform. The period of time to complete it is 45 months.
Detailed information (double click):
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Its conception and design will contribute in a decisive way to the Barcelona airport becoming a true value proposal for air companies and passengers and to its consolidation as an exemplary airport for the Mediterranean area and Southern Europe.
AENA has tried to focus on the project from two points of view: considering the terminal as a node of communication and as a large center for services.
The terminal T1 is designed so that it can process more than 25 million travelers per year and 64 operations and 8,500 travelers in peak hours.
The new terminal area will have 55 contact positions or direct access to planes without having to use bus services. It is estimated that 90 percent of travelers will go through a direct boarding process. A railroad station will be situated underneath.
The terminal T1 design responds to the idea that ensures growth flexibility in order to process more than 55 million travelers when the future satellite building is built on the other side of the transverse runway.
The result will be a complex of 525.500 m2 that will be structured around three main elements: a processing building (750 m x 38 m), which will house check-in, baggage pick-up, and a commercial zone on the air side; the second element is shaped by two lateral docks (each one 420 m x 22,5 m) and one longitudinal dock dedicated to passenger boarding; and finally a single element: a transportation center or multipurpose lobby that will be the main center for transportation services. All of these elements will be connected together under one roof, on the same level without having to cross street traffic routes.
The new terminal T1 building planned for Barcelona is of a tremendous logistical and technical complexity. More than 80,000 travelers will pass through it daily and more than 6,000 people will be employed there. More than half the new terminal complex's surface is made up of reserved spaces that are inaccessible to travelers.
This project's staff was determined by a competition in which the following eight teams took part, four of them being international:
- Ricard Bofill
- Oriol Bohigas
- Manuel Brullet
- Carlos Mamela
- Francisco Partearroyo
- Carles Ferrater and Ramon Sanabria
- Jean Nouvel
- Rem Koolhas
On June 25, 2001, the winner and awardee were announced. It was Ricard Bofill's Architecture Workshop together with the engineering company IBERINSA to form a temporary company union. IBERINSA will take control of all aspects corresponding to aeronautic engineering.
The architectural proposal combines the international and multicultural character that is wanted for the new terminal along with the luminosity and warm environment of the Mediterranean architecture. Their proposal will allow for the building to adapt to the landscape and the natural lighting of all the zones geared towards travelers.
AENA is convinced that by converging planning aimed at achieving maximum functional qualities for travelers and air companies with a particular representative architecture into the design, the new terminal building of the Barcelona airport will be one of the examples for future airport terminals.
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One of the rejected proposals, the one from Carles Ferrater and Ramon Sanabria, suggested building a structure open to surroundings, illuminated with natural light and with a formal and composite image inspired by the Mediterranean culture taking advantage of the new terminal's location on flat land near the sea and a high phreatic level
The general form is of immediate perception, whether from land or air, thanks to the abstract and clear structure and the covering's synthetic face.
F) AIR NAVIGATION
Doubling the capacity of aircraft movement and adapting a new flying field configuration that allows for simultaneous landing and takeoff from two runways have called for the putting in motion of an ambitious plan to also adapt the air space to the new needs.
AENA is unfolding four project ideas by means of the Management for Air Navigation and the Management for East Regional Air Navigation, the latter with its headquarters in Barcelona:
- Construction of the new Air Traffic Control Center of Barcelona in Gavà. It will have a surface area of 28,000 m2, four times larger than the current Control Center of Barcelona.
- Press Release (22 de febrero de 2005)
- Construction of a new control tower to be able to adapt to the future needs of the Barcelona airport. It is 16 meters taller and the surface area doubles that of the current TWR.
- Its location is favorable to sustain aircraft operations in the new flying field and it's compatible with the construction of a future satellite building on the other side of the transverse runway.
- A new air space organization design for the terminal area of Barcelona that connects the airport with courses of traffic.
- Installation
in the Barcelona airport and vicinity of new radio help to maintain
the operations of the new Barcelona airport air traffic organization.
All the runways ends will be capable of performing precision Category
II/III ILS instrumental approximations.
G) 'HUB' AIRPORT
The Barcelona airport tries to reinforce itself as an exemplary airport for the Mediterranean area and Southern Europe by means of its consolidation as a HUB with the capacity to house major air company alliances.
This is:
- Attractive
for passengers and air companies
- Efficient in the transfer of passengers and baggage
- Without congestion in the flow of transportation
- With a minimum connection time for passengers and baggage
The objective is that in half the time 30 percent of total airport traffic will be connection traffic.
Configuring the Barcelona airport as a connection platform is the key to Barcelona being able to offer good intercontinental service networks, which are basic in order to connect it with the major economic capitals of the world and to develop airfreight traffic.
AENA is constructing an airport for more than 40 million travelers, 500,000 tons and 450,000 aircrafts. In the future it could exceed 55 million travelers when the satellite building is built.
| Previsión hecha el año 1998 | Previsión cambiada el año 2001 |
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The objective is to consolidate it among the TOP 10 of Europe, an exemplary HUB in the southern part of the continent for traveler and merchandise traffic, with an important wide reaching service network and a capacity to house the main air alliances.
The Barcelona airport has already been recognized as one of the best. In the next years one of the keys to airport competition will be the quality of services they offer to their customers, travelers and air companies, at reasonable prices.
The new terminal area has been designed as a multipurpose platform with comfortable and agile processes for travelers, employees, aircrafts and baggage. It also offers attractive services such as shopping, restaurants and entertainment.
With the new projects, traveler zones will be multiplied by 3, air operation zones by 10, the number of boarding corridors by 3, the number of baggage claim carousels by 3, and the surface area of commercial services by 4. In addition public transportation services will be improved so that transitions between the different means of transportation will be clear and short. They are trying to achieve that the airport becomes one of the examples in air terminals within the next few years.
H) AIRPORT CITY
AENA sees the airport as a city with 40,000 habitants that will directly attend to more than 150,000 travelers. The growing flow of users, employees, air companies, carriers, and visitors requires services in concordance with diverse needs 24 hours a day.
The Barcelona airport has enough spaces available to be an airport city. AENA's plan anticipates among other actions:
- The expansion of the Freight Center to 50 hectares
- An aeronautic center of 53 hectares that will house aeronautic industries and related companies.
- A service city of 150 hectares for hotels, convention centers and industrial
centers
I) "ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY" AIRPORT
The commitment of territorial, environmental, social and urban integration of the Barcelona airport is one of the fundamental ideas of the expansion.
The project's main actions (third runway, new terminal area, airport city, new accesses…) will occupy a large space integrating itself within a framework of ecological interest. Due to this, a maximum priority is given to measures aimed at minimizing possible changes caused by the new airport.
AENA has outlined an environmental plan of action of more than 100 million euros.
The final goal is to achieve not only a positive environmental balance
but also to organize and recuperate a privileged zone.
Reduction of noise
AENA strongly calls for a gesture that minimizes the acoustic impact on the population and that encourages the increase in the neighbors' quality of life. The Barcelona airport takes continued steps to manage the noise noticeable by the residents.
The airport already has installed a system to control the surrounding noise called "System for the Monitoring of Noise and Flight Paths", which will grow stronger in the next years. This also anticipates the prohibition of operating noisy aircrafts.
As a result of the measures taken and the new flying field configuration, the floor surface area outside the airport grounds affected by the noise level will be reduced by 30 percent even though the number of aircraft movements will double. Furthermore, AENA has bought up to 50 hectares of developable land to convert it into a noise protection zone
The view from Gavà Mar:
It must be emphasized that this "theory" called for by AENA to minimize the airport's acoustic impact has NEVER been PROACTIVE.
AENA has always favored the functionality of the airport over the surrounding quality of life, which has been clearly proved over the last few years, instead of looking for an equilibrium that could be accepted by everyone.
Only the social, judicial and political pressures, together with the statistical evidence collected by AVV of Gavà Mar technicians that AENA could substantially minimize the noise created by the airport, have made AENA take actions in this direction.