BARCELONA – Pink flamingos are the star attraction in one of Europe’s most important wetlands, located on the outskirts of Barcelona, but their tranquility is often punctuated by the roar of jet engines from the nearby airport.
Once, passengers were able to walk from the wetland straight onto the few planes that took off from Barcelona’s airport, but if current plans for a €3.2bn (£2.74bn) expansion go ahead, the airport will become a huge hub catering for up to 70 million passengers a year.
Local authorities hope the expansion will be completed by 2033.
Shorts
The plans fly in the face of Barcelona’s stated plans to reduce visitor numbers amid growing anger from residents, who are planning a mass demonstration on 20 September involving thousands descending on the Passeig de Gràcia train station in the most exclusive shopping street in the city.
