Air traffic sees threats growing on the radar due to the consequences of the war in the Middle East, mainly associated with the cost overrun caused by fuel prices. “It is a situation that, if it persists over time, will be a concern for everyone,” admits Vanessa Requena, chief of staff at Barcelona-El Prat airport. “Supply is guaranteed for now, but if the moment comes when it is not, an adjustment of the schedule will have to be considered,” Requena conceded this Friday, on the eve of the start of the summer season at Barcelona airport, a traditional peak period of activity for the facility.
Read more Not paying taxes, the privilege of the new aristocracy
Aena does not reveal what margin the reserves provide nor from what point the fuel access situation could become compromised for airlines. The price of aviation fuel has risen between 20% and 25%, according to Marty St. George, president of the American company JetBlue, which this Friday inaugurated its first connection between Boston and Barcelona. The top executive of JetBlue admits there may be uncertainties about the evolution of the aviation business but emphasizes that, in the case of flights between the United States and Barcelona, “demand is strong.”
The arrival of JetBlue in Barcelona adds fuel to the fire of competition among airlines flying between the United States and Catalonia, such as American Airlines, United, or Delta. JetBlue says it avoids the term lowcost but considering its tight fares, 399 euros per trip in economy class and 1,699 euros in business, JetBlue arrives to challenge the position held by Level in Barcelona. Just at a time when the lowcost brand of the IAG group is in a phase of withdrawal and has canceled its route to San Francisco (California).
The new route to Boston will connect the Catalan airport with Logan International Airport from April to October, to respond to “the growing demand for leisure, business, and academic travel,” according to the company. Flights are operated with an Airbus A321 and, according to Marty St. George, it strengthens the offer between two cities that share common interests in sectors such as technology, studies, culture, or tourism. “It is a strategic connection,” said the president of JetBlue, and regarding the accumulation of a similar offer among different companies, he was clear: “when there is competition, everyone benefits.”
For her part, Vanessa Requena, chief of staff at Barcelona-El Prat airport, pointed out that the new route “responds to a high demand, with more than 1.5 million indirect passengers between the United States and Barcelona, including more than 59,000 between Boston and Barcelona in 2025.”
Read more The two Goyas that Seville commissioned in 1789 return definitively
Thus, Barcelona becomes JetBlue’s second destination in Spain – after the inauguration of the route to Madrid last year – and is established as the seventh city in which the airline operates in Europe.
From Boston, the airline offers more than 130 daily departures to over 65 destinations, connected with JetBlue’s network in the United States, Latin America, and the Caribbean.
Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat airport recorded a monthly passenger record in March, with 4.5 million users, 5.4% more than in the same month of the previous year. The number of international travelers was 3.4 million, 6.4% more, and domestic travelers reached 1,178,739 passengers, 2.8% more than the same month last year.
Read more Alcaraz announces that he will not compete in the Mutua Madrid Open
