BARDC’s objectives focus on increasing direct intercontinental connectivity on key routes between Barcelona-Catalonia and Asia and the Americas
- The Barcelona Air Route Development Committee (BARDC) once again took part in Routes World, the annual route development event, held in Frankfurt in 2026. All BARDC member institutions were represented, alongside the Catalan Tourist Board, part of the Ministry of Business and Labour, and Aeroports de Catalunya
- Routes World is the world’s leading event bringing together airlines, destinations, and airports to promote air routes. Over the three-day event, the BARDC held a total of 27 meetings with airlines, airports, and government tourism agencies
- One of the main conclusions was that airlines, particularly Asian carriers, are highly interested in launching new routes. However, the geopolitical situation and rising fuel costs are making them cautious.
The Barcelona Air Route Development Committee (BARDC) took part, as usual, in Routes World 2026, held in Frankfurt from 21 to 23 October. Routes World is the leading international event bringing together airlines, airports, and other stakeholders involved in air route development.
BARDC held a total of 27 meetings with airlines, airports, and government tourism agencies. More than half of these meetings were with Asian airlines and airports, which expressed interest in exploring new connectivity opportunities with Barcelona, both through the launch of routes to currently unserved destinations and through increased frequencies on existing routes, reflecting the market’s potential.
Interest among Asian airlines in exploring Barcelona as a connecting hub for Latin America is also growing. This trend is driven by substantial unmet demand and limited competition, creating new opportunities for route development.
BARDC continues to act as a one-stop shop for airlines, working to promote new intercontinental routes and strengthen existing services in order to improve the region’s air connectivity. To this end, BARDC receives the collaboration and support of various institutions and organisations across Barcelona and Catalonia involved in promoting the destination’s economic development, including the Catalan Tourist Board, ACCIÓ, the Barcelona Tourism Consortium, the Port of Barcelona, and Barcelona-Catalonia Logistics Centre (BCL), among others.
Further, during this year’s event, Catalonia officially took over as host of Routes World 2027, which will take place in Barcelona from 17 to 19 October. Hosting this international event represents a strategic opportunity for Barcelona and Catalonia, bringing together thousands of industry professionals and key decision-makers responsible for air route planning and development worldwide.
Hosting the event once again will strengthen Barcelona’s international positioning as a leading destination, showcase Catalonia’s economic and tourism potential and, in particular, create new business opportunities with airlines to further improve the region’s intercontinental air connectivity.
Key takeaways from Routes World 2026 meetings
- Aircraft delivery delays: Significant delays in aircraft deliveries, compounded by the challenges facing Boeing, mean that deliveries expected over the coming years will be considerably lower than anticipated. Nevertheless, new opportunities are expected to emerge in 2027 and 2028. Alongside the shortage of aircraft, a lack of suitably licensed pilots has also been identified.
- New long-range narrow-body aircraft: Aircraft such as the Airbus A321XLR, which can operate long-haul routes, are changing the economics and operational possibilities of long-haul services and may create new opportunities.
- Chinese secondary cities: Chengdu and Chongqing have been identified as key Tier 2 Chinese cities for Barcelona.
- Barcelona–Bangkok route: BARDC is working to attract an airline to operate the Barcelona–Bangkok route, where indirect passenger demand has grown significantly in recent years.
- North American opportunities: There is potential to attract airlines interested in routes to cities in the United States and Canada, including Orlando, Minneapolis, Detroit, Phoenix, Houston, and Vancouver, given the substantial demand for these markets.
- Barcelona’s global brand: Barcelona remains a globally renowned destination. BARDC members observed that interest in the city and its surrounding region remains strong across both business and cultural sectors, reflecting the resilience and global competitiveness of its brand.
Overall, airlines expressed concern about the evolution of ongoing armed conflicts, which have led to restrictions on the use of Russian and Middle Eastern airspace.
These factors suggest that 2027 will continue to be a year of uncertainty, depending on how these conflicts evolve and the impact they may have on airline operations and growth plans.
About Routes World
Routes World is the leading international forum for air route development, bringing together airlines, airports, destinations and other industry stakeholders to establish new connections, expand networks and strengthen existing routes.
The event focuses particularly on B2B meetings between airline network planning and development decision-makers, as well as networking and industry knowledge-sharing.
About BARDC
The Barcelona Air Route Development Committee (BARDC) was established in 2005 to promote new intercontinental routes and improve the region’s air connectivity. Its members are the Government of Catalonia, Barcelona City Council, the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, and Aena.
