Spain suspends Barcelona airport expansion plans and accuses Catalan government of lack of support

The Spanish government has suspended a 1.7 billion euro investment plan aimed at expanding the Barcelona airport accusing the Catalan government of lack of support and putting the project into question over environmental concerns.

The planned expansion, which was expected to boost the local economy and increase the number of passengers from 53 to 70 million a year, was seen as a potential threat to La Ricarda lagoon, a natural reserve located south of Barcelona.

While the Spanish government insists that the expansion project abides by EU environmental regulations, the Transport minister, Raquel Sánchez, held a press conference on Wednesday to explain that the expansion plan was being withdrawn due to the lack of support from Catalan authorities.

“Moving forward with a project of such magnitude is impossible without full support from the Catalan government” said Spain’s Transport minister, Raquel Sánchez, on Wednesday. “Great projects require great consensus at the institutional level.”