The Catalan capital will host the 32nd edition of World Routes in October 2027, a summit that will bring together 3,000 delegates from airlines and airports from over 110 countries.
Barcelona will once again be the global epicentre of commercial aviation. The city will host the 32nd edition of World Routes, the leading international fair in the aviation sector, which will take place in October 2027. This announcement was made on Thursday by sources from the organisation, who expect the attendance of up to 3,000 delegates, including airline executives, airport managers, tourism authorities, and industry suppliers from over 110 countries.
World Routes is the platform where future global air connections are negotiated and defined. Barcelona was previously the host in 2017, and now it repeats a decade later. The goal is clear: to boost the intercontinental connectivity strategy of the region, combining the international projection of the city with a complementary airport system, intermodality, and a sustainable development model.
The Secretary of Mobility and Infrastructure of the Generalitat, Manel Nadal, highlighted that events like this serve as a springboard to new destinations. “Thanks to the meetings that take place at the fair, we promote the city and the country in places where we still do not have direct connections. Welcoming representatives from those cities and airlines in Barcelona is very important for the work we are doing,” he stated.
From the Barcelona City Council, the Deputy Mayor for Social Rights, Economic Promotion, Employment, Feminisms, and Democratic Memory, Raquel Gil, emphasised the economic and labour impact. “The celebration of World Routes 2027 is a new opportunity to attract more companies, generating quality jobs for more people in the city, with better working conditions. It will allow us to deepen better intercontinental connectivity, reinforcing Barcelona's strategy of economic diversification and commitment to high value-added activity,” she pointed out.
The Director of the Catalan Tourism Agency, Arantxa Calvera, stressed the shift in the tourism model. “International connectivity is a lever to move from a volume-based model to a value-based model. It allows us to attract a conscious traveller and strengthen high value-added activities, such as international congresses, which generate shared prosperity for the entire territory,” she explained.
Steven Small, Vice President of Air Transport Events Informa, justified the choice of Barcelona. “In 2017, the event in Barcelona set a record for Routes, and we are delighted to return to such a dynamic destination. The selection was based on Barcelona's strong strategic vision to attract higher value routes that have a greater and sustainable economic impact on the city and Catalonia,” he declared.
Eva Valenzuela, Director of Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport, highlighted the direct benefit for citizens. “Nearly one in two passengers is a resident of Catalonia, which reinforces the airport's role as a strategic infrastructure for mobility, competitiveness, and the international projection of the country,” she noted.
The President of the Barcelona Chamber of Commerce, Josep Santacreu, celebrated the news. “It is great news that Barcelona will once again be the international capital of the aviation sector. Our city has one of the best-connected airports in Europe and is in a full race to boost its air routes, with special attention to intercontinental ones. Events like this contribute to strengthening the city's position as an international destination and as a hub of knowledge, business, and investments,” he assured.
In the last decade, Barcelona-El Prat Airport has increased its direct intercontinental connections from 33 to 62, an 88% increase. This consolidates it as one of the European airports with the highest growth in long-haul routes. Catalonia faces this new edition after more than two decades of institutional collaboration between the Generalitat, the City Council, Aena, and the Chamber of Commerce through the Air Route Development Committee (CDRA).
The celebration of World Routes 2027 is part of the new Strategic Plan 2026-2030 of the CDRA, which prioritises the expansion of direct connections with markets in the Asia-Pacific region and the United States. Currently, more than 5.3 million passengers travel between Catalonia and international markets through connecting flights, indicating a consolidated demand that justifies new direct routes. The potential is concentrated in the United States (1.5 million unserved O&D passengers), Asia-Pacific (593,000), China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan (405,000), South America (314,000), and Japan (305,000).
According to an economic impact study by the University of Barcelona and the Chamber of Commerce, Barcelona-El Prat Airport generates 6.8% of Catalonia's GDP and more than 218,000 jobs, with an impact that extends to tourism, logistics, international trade, and research.
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