Madrid Airport
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Madrid Airport (MAD)
The major Airport in Madrid, Spain, is the Madrid Airport, commonly known as Barajas, and is the major gateway to the City of Madrid. Madrid airport is the busiest and largest in the country and was ranked the eleventh busiest globally and fourth in Europe in 2019.
The international flights that really opened the airport commenced within the 30s with the airport serving major African and European destinations. The original flight field of the earlier Barajas was made up of a huge unpaved circle of land aptly full of natural grass with the title ‘Madrid’ in a white hue on the inside. However, it was in the 1940s that the Barajas flight field received a facelift with new runaways and paving being designed.
Madrid airport is the busiest airport in Spain with nearly 62 million passengers.
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport operates from 1928 and is located 13 km (8 mi) from Madrid’s historic centre.
Airport Information
IATA airport code: MAD
ICAO airport code: LEMD
Airport type: Public
Owner: ENAIRE
Operator: Aena
Serves: Madrid, Spain
Location: Madrid, District of Barajas
Hub for:
- Air Europa
- Iberia
- Iberia Express
- Iberia Regional
Busiest domestic routes at Madrid Airport for the year of 2019 include: Barcelona airport with 2,573,82 Passengers and Palma Airport with 1,993,272 Passengers.
Madrid Airport Terminals
Madrid’s airport has five terminals: T1, T2, T3, T4 and T4S, using a total of four runways.
T1 is generally used for international flights and is home to about 40 airlines.
T2 is dedicated for flights within Spain and to destinations within the Schengen Area, which is a zone of 26 countries in Europe where you can travel without the need for a visa.
T3 is used for flights within Spain and nearby regions.
T4, and its satellite terminal T4S, are the most recent additions to the airport terminals. It serves both domestic and international flights, including destinations within the Schengen Area. This complex also houses the direct Madrid to Barcelona shuttle flight.
Lost And Found
If any of your bags or other property is missing, check to see if the airport is holding it at one of the two lost and found facilities that operate in T1 and T4.
T1 lost property Telephone: 913 936 119 Location: Arrivals hall, floor 0 Opening hours: 7am to 10pm
T4 lost property Telephone: 917 466 439 Location: Arrivals hall, floor 0 Opening hours: 7am to 10pm
You can also email lost property at mad.seg.objetosperdidos@aena.es
Eating and Drinking
If you’re looking for refreshments, whether it’s a full meal or just a light snack and drink, you have plenty of options to choose from at Madrid’s airport. Reflecting the city’s cosmopolitan nature, the airport has a diverse range of cuisines including:
- Cafés
- Takeaway food
- Wine bars
- Tapas restaurants
- Bars
- Fast food
Shopping
Being such a large and busy airport, there are many different types of retail available in the terminals. You’ll find companies large and small offering the following items:
- Sporting goods
- Food and cooking items
- Duty free
- Tobacco and lottery sales
- Pharmacies
- Jewelry and watches
- Fashion and accessories
- Children’s toys
- Electronics
- Music
- Photography
- Newspapers, books and magazines
Transportation
Because the airport is located so close to Madrid, there are several public transportation options once you land to get you to your final destination in the city.
Underground train: Madrid’s Metro system services the airport on Line 8, stopping at all the terminals and ending in the city at the Nuevos Ministerios station..
Overground train: The train lines known as C1 and C10 serve the airport to destinations in the city center and beyond..
City buses: In T1, T2 and T3, for the low cost of just €1.50 you can take one of the Route 101 or Route 200 city buses from the airport into Madrid. Alternatively, for €5 one-way you can take the express Line 203 bus that should get you to the city within 40 minutes depending on traffic.
Intercity buses: These longer-haul buses can take you to many destinations in Madrid and elsewhere. In T1 look for the buses designated for Route 822 or Route 824, in T2 look for the buses designated Route 824, and in T4 look for the buses designated Route 827 or Route 828.
Long distance coach: If your final destination is much further than Madrid then you might want to consider taking a long distance coach as an alternative to car rental. The exact price will depend on where you’re going, but there are operators available in most terminals, including Avanzabus (T1 and T4), Alsa (T4) and Socibus (T1).
Taxi: Taxis service the airport throughout the day and night. Simply follow the signs for the taxi stands in each terminal. You’ll know they are the authorized airport taxis because they are painted white and have a red stripe on them.
Airport Rental Cars
There are several major rental car companies that operate out of T1 and T4:
- Avis
- Enterprise Rent a Car
- Europcar-InterRent
- Goldcar-InterRent
- Hertz-Firefly
- Sixt
Financial Services
There are several financial services located throughout the terminals:
- Banks
- ATMs
- Currency exchange
VIP Lounges
For those travelers looking for some extra luxury on their journey, consider spending some time in the airport’s VIP lounges that offer the very best amenities to those using them.
Among the perks that the lounges offer are children’s play areas, relaxation rooms, free Wi-Fi, refreshments, books and other reading material, showers, and luggage storage.
The following lounges are available in individual terminals:
T1: Cibeles
T2: Puerta de Alcalá
T3: Puerta del Sol
T4: Premium Lounge and Plaza Mayor
T4S: Neptuno
The airport has temporarily halted the online sale of passes to the VIP lounges, so therefore you can’t buy a pass in advance. However, on the day of your flight, once you’re at the airport simply visit the lounge nearest your departure gate to see if you can purchase a pass in person. If there is a sufficient amount of space available then you will be able to buy your entry.
The cost for the Neptuno and Cibeles lounges is €35 for adults and €16.80 for children.
For the Puerta del Sol, Puerta de Alcalá, and the Plaza Mayor VIP lounges the cost is €33.90 for adults and €15.60 for children.
Airport Parking
Long-term and short-term parking is available at all terminals, with exact prices depending on duration of how long you plan on parking your car.
Contact
Phone No: +34 91 321 10 00
Postal Address: Avda. de la Hispanidad s/n. 28042 Madrid
E-mail: clientesmad@aena.es
Website: http://www.aena.es/