Just a bit of information as I’ve just researched it.
I’ve been toying with the idea to arrive at night at the big Barcelona airport. So I went to the AIP and as handling is mandatory I gave a Menzies a call.
The AIP says that if you are slower than 220kt cruise, you might have to wait.
Airport use is restricted to aircraft with a cruising speed lower than 220 kt (except State, hospital and search and rescue aircraft), in the following hours:
V: 0600-0800, 1200-1430, 1830-2100
I: 0700-0900, 1300-1530, 1930-2200
Affected aircraft requiring the use of the airport during these hours, shall assume the possible delays since non-restricted aircraft always have priority over them.
There is a requirement for a slot:
The ARO at Barcelona/El Prat AD shall not accept flight plans with origin or destination Barcelona/El Prat, with an EOBT or ETA which is not in accordan- ce with the airport slot previously allocated (see GEN 1.2, item 3).
Handling is actually not the worst part of going there. I got quoted on the phone:
90 EUR for handling in itself
23 EUR for the security check in/out
90 EUR for mandatory push-back. No aircraft can be moved manually as all aircraft movement as subject to ATC clearance. That does – crazy – include moving the little SEP. So you cannot push by hand or use the handle. It has to be the tractor from the handling company.
280 – 300 EUR The biggest charge is then from AENA for landing and parking. I was asking for arrival Thursday night and departure Monday afternoon.
So that makes it 483 EUR on the lower end for an IFR arrival/departure and 4 nights parking.
I might go to Girona or Reus instead when I have a need to get back to Barcelona in non VFR weather or at night.
Why don’t they simply say: “We want to make € 500”, no matter what you need and if you want to push it back yourself, go ahead. That would at least be honest …
Together with the 220KT restriction and all that “we are sooo busy” wording in the AIP the message is clear. No little flies. Only buses full with tourists. Later other people in Barcelona complain about the amount (way too much) and the type of tourists (too cheap).
But then we all know that for the airport an Airbus with 200 PAX is better overall. They can charge the airline and they make money through the shopping mall. The one at LEBL is quite large. Guess why… But now it’s getting off-topic.
Stephan I would treat Girona as my IFR destination and transit VFR to LELL, it used to be very friendly and reasonable for a large airport. This was when Ryanair had already established a base.
A few years back was filed for Torrejon but got diverted to Barajas. Charges were quite reasonable, but I think I negotiated in Spanish. As you make contacts at LELL you might get an introduction and negotiate a better deal, and it may be worth going over to see a handling agent in person. Alternatively get a window seat on one of the evening EasyJets.
Avoid Barcelona like the plague. It is the only place where controllers have genuinely tried to kill me. It is a nightmare in any form of aircraft. You would find yourself with no wake spacing, vectored into another aircraft, or a go-around call away from an A340 taxiing into you on landing (all 3 have happened to me at BCN in the last 12 months) – save your money and go elsewhere!
This ATIS isn’t entirely false…
Reus is a reasonable option. Landing fees around 25 euros, parking 20 euros a day I think. Not busy. But you need to call in advance for a parking spot. Then either hire a car or take a cab to Tarragona and get on a train to Barcelona. Time spent on cab/train not more than 2 hrs, by car 1.5 hrs.
I agree with Josh. I fly small planes to a lot of big airports and most are fine. Barcelona are unpleasant and rude. Vectoring then sending you to a non-fpl waypoint in the terminal area and not spelling it out and getting annoyed as you can’t find it (waypoint on an approach I wasn’t using) Just terrible. Girona for me as an IFR option. Much cheaper friendly handling from Execujet there.
Quite interesting all that …
I remember well when I was passed to Barcelona from Girona. They refused to respond to me. I called eight times, no recognition of me. I went back to Girona stating I could not raise them. Try again came the reply. I tried three times, eventually gave up, went under their TMA, clipped their CTZ, nothing….I knew they were there, because they were talking to others…avoid like the plague..
Hmmm… I talk to them all the time when I fly out of and into Sabadell LELL.
