Talks between the Government and the Generalitat of Catalonia about the future of Barcelona’s El Prat airport will resume this Thursday at the Territori Department headquarters. The matter was put on hold in September 2021 amid high‑level tensions, including exchanges between the prime minister and the Catalan president. Representatives from both administrations will meet in a low‑profile session to discuss how the facility should be managed going forward, with no ministers or councilors present and no official offer on the table yet.
The subdued restart is not unusual. The issue remains highly sensitive for the Generalitat, and no side wants to reveal its full hand. Pere Aragonès has voiced support for modernizing the airport, while avoiding the term expansion, given environmental concerns around a sea‑facing extension near the La Ricarda lagoon. The core impasse in 2021 centered on environmental impacts, which exhausted political tolerance and exposed internal ERC divisions—some members backing reform, others voicing doubts.
For this reason, Generalitat representatives told El Periódico de Catalunya that Thursday’s encounter will function as a status check between the two administrations and will set the course for the commission’s work going forward. In practical terms, the commission must establish a process to advance its mandate, and neither side expects a concrete proposal to be presented immediately. The Generalitat’s top representative is anticipated to be the president of Catalonia Airports, with the director general of Civil Aviation confirmed by the government.
While Plaza de Sant Jaume confirms ongoing work toward a potential plan, officials deem it too soon to publish specifics. Aragonès has highlighted three focal points: first, that the Generalitat should oversee the primary operations of Catalan airports; second, that intercontinental capacity be increased; and third, that environmental protections around the Llobregat Delta be preserved. A new terminal has long been discussed but has yet to be realized, while any road enhancements along the sea approach remain a debated topic.
Although the Generalitat does not plan to formalize an offer at this stage, it will present three core themes for the talks: governance of the main Catalan airport operations, a plan to boost intercontinental traffic, and the safeguarding of protected natural areas along the delta. The aim is to keep the discussion constructive, with practical returnable steps rather than symbolic gestures.
Relations with PSC
The Thursday session should also be read through the lens of Catalan politics. With the airport commission becoming more active, the government intends to satisfy a condition included in the 2023 PSC budget and to position the talks as productive rather than partisan. The Generalitat notes that the commission’s operation could soften the fiscal agreements under discussion for 2024, though a final budget deal remains unsettled.
Salvador Illa, leader of the Socialists, and Aragonès met recently to discuss the accounts. According to the Generalitat, the meeting signals progress and a willingness from the socialists to revisit the agreement from the previous year. Illa has been more cautious, but acknowledged that reviving the accord is a real possibility.
Progress Pressure
Even with a restrained start, both sides know there will be pressure to move forward. Civil society has already put forward proposals over the past year, including ideas for extending the runway with pylons above La Ricarda or building a new sea‑based runway designed by independent experts. PSC and Junts have pressed Parliament to keep the issue active so the government does not stall.
Aragonès faces the legacy of the 2021 conflict, caught between critics who blame him for failing to secure a large state investment and others who see development as potentially harming society and the environment. The current objective is to avoid returning to that maze. A concrete proposal ready for discussion on the table is the first essential step.