Barcelona-El Prat Airport is located south-west of the city, between the city limits of El Prat de Llobregat, Viladecans and Sant Boi. It is just three kilometres from the Port of Barcelona, one of the most important ports in the Mediterranean for container traffic and a market leader in the cruise sector. It is also located near the Zona Franca (Free Zone) Consortium, one of the most important industrial and logistical parks in Spain.

Barcelona-El Prat Airport constitutes a cornerstone of the Catalan economy and is particularly important for the business sector and tourism industry. To modernise and prepare Barcelona-El Prat Airport for future air traffic demands, major improvements to infrastructure and services are currently being undertaken. The Barcelona Plan has transformed the airport with the construction of a new terminal area and the extension of the airfield with a new runway, in addition to other relevant infrastructures.

Apart from the Barcelona Plan, Aena Aeropuertos continues to invest in the expansion of the airport, thereby ensuring that it remains one of the most important in the south of Europe and consolidating Barcelona-El Prat's position as a major European hub airport, increasing both its domestic and international connections.

In 2012 traffic of 35,144,503 passengers was recorded, up 2.2 percent on the previous year and the best record in its history: 290,004 operations and 96,522 tonnes of cargo.