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February 5, 2025
The Barcelona Air Route Development Committee (BARDC) participates in CONNECT 2025 in Girona
Over 800 executives from airlines, airports, and tourism companies worldwide gathered in Girona for the CONNECT 2025 conference.
- The 21st edition of this international aviation conference took place from 3 to 5 February, aiming to build global networks and connect destinations.
- The event, organized with the support of the Provincial Council of Girona, the Government of Catalonia, and the Girona Chamber of Commerce, featured a comprehensive program of speeches, roundtables, seminars, and industry briefings.
- Girona welcomed key representatives from the aviation industry at CONNECT 2025. More than 800 executives from airlines, airports, and tourism companies confirmed their attendance at the 21st edition of this prestigious international aviation conference, held at the Palau de Fires. According to the organizers, this edition saw the highest number of registered participants to date, and they expressed their satisfaction and gratitude for the local cooperation.
Over three days, CONNECT 2025 brought together key figures from the aviation industry to discuss current and future sector issues through a diverse and extensive program, including face-to-face meetings, keynote speeches, seminars, and roundtable discussions, confirming its status as an unmissable annual international event. A total of 88 airlines and 189 airports registered for the conference.
The event commenced with the official opening ceremony, attended by the President of the Parliament of Catalonia, Josep Rull; the Minister for Territory, Housing and Ecological Transition of the Government of Catalonia, Sílvia Paneque; the President of the Provincial Council of Girona, Miquel Noguer; the President of the Girona Chamber of Commerce, Jaume Fàbrega; and the General Director of CONNECT Aviation, Karin Butot.
Following the inaugural speeches, the dignitaries visited the various exhibition stands at the conference, spread throughout the Palau de Fires. Later, the roundtable discussion The Case for Girona took place, exploring the appeal of this destination and highlighting the opportunities it offers to airlines, tourism industries, and the regional economy.
The session was moderated by the President of the Girona Tourism Board, Jaume Dulsat, with participation in the roundtable from the Deputy and First Vice President of the Costa Brava Girona Tourism Board of the Provincial Council of Girona, Jordi Masquef; the Executive Director of the Catalan Tourism Agency of the Government of Catalonia, Patrick Torrent; the General Director of Aeroports de Catalunya, Jordi Candela; and the Dean of the Faculty of Tourism at the University of Girona, Lluís Coromina.
Coinciding with the conference, the GROwing brand was launched, through which the Girona Airport Strategic Board aims to promote Girona-Costa Brava Airport to airlines worldwide. The name reflects the ambition to promote both the city and the region of Girona. The goal, taking advantage of this networking space, is to encourage the idea of flying to Catalonia via Girona Airport.
The Strategic Council for Girona Airport
At the end of 2023, the Provincial Council of Girona, the Government of Catalonia, and the Girona Chamber of Commerce established the Strategic Council for Girona-Costa Brava Airport. Its objective is to design and coordinate territorial policies, develop strategies, strengthen regional capabilities, and integrate complementary assets that contribute to this key infrastructure.
The Strategic Council focuses on reducing seasonality with a qualitative approach. Beyond tourism, it also considers the productive sector and the mobility needs of residents and workers in the Girona region.
Passenger data collected in 2024 confirms the positive impact of these revitalization efforts on the Vilobí d'Onyar terminal. The airport welcomed nearly two million passengers (1,997,571), not reaching this figure by fewer than 2,500 people—representing a 26% increase compared to the previous year (2023). These figures, not seen since before the pandemic, demonstrate a positive trend, particularly in the mid and low seasons.
In this context, CONNECT 2025 presents a significant opportunity for route development in Catalonia, especially for Girona-Costa Brava Airport.
The Conference and the Region
Beyond the activities taking place during the three-day event, CONNECT 2025 also generated significant economic benefits for Catalonia, particularly for Girona and its surrounding region. In fact, during the weekend before the conference, participants had the opportunity to explore the area's tourist, cultural, and heritage attractions through various excursions and activities, including visits to Girona, Figueres, and medieval villages; golfing; and sampling the local volcanic cuisine.
The event brought together airlines, airports, tourism organizations, and industry suppliers so they could exchange synergies and share their interests in terms of routes and tourism offer. A packed program featured three sessions each morning and afternoon, covering topics ranging from the challenges of sustainability in aviation to the future of low-cost operators, among others.
Regarding long-haul airline representation, BARDC held key meetings with Vueling/IAG Group, Air Arabia Maroc, Royal Air Maroc, Plus Ultra Airlines, Wizz Air Group, Saudia Airlines, Kenya Airways, and WestJet.
