AESA identifies large areas of Barcelona exempt from authorization for urban activities

• Aeronautical easements delimit protection zones to ensure the safety of air operations. The actions carried out in these areas require the prior favorable agreement of AESA.
• The exemption is part of the plan promoted by AESA to proactively identify areas where it is possible to simplify administrative procedures without affecting aviation safety.
• The measure is applied as long as the safety conditions are met, such as not exceeding 45 meters in height.

Madrid, 19 October 2026  (AESA).

The State Aviation Safety Agency (AESA) has published a new exemption on aeronautical easements for the municipality of Barcelona. The resolution is based on a technical study carried out by AESA that has allowed identifying those areas of the municipality where certain buildings, facilities and plantations can be developed without requesting the prior agreement of the Agency, provided that they meet the established conditions.

The analysis concludes that these actions do not affect the safety or regularity of air operations or the proper functioning of the radio facilities at Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport.

This measure will speed up the processing of numerous urban actions and reduce administrative burdens for citizens, companies and public administrations.

You can consult all the information in the section "Aeronautical easements" of the AESA website.

A job for the benefit of citizens

Barcelona presents a unique situation due to the fact that the aeronautical easement associated with the Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport extends over practically the entire municipality. This circumstance, together with the high population density and the intense urban activity of the city, makes especially relevant any measure aimed at simplifying administrative procedures while maintaining aviation safety guarantees.

In order to adapt the regulation to the real characteristics of the municipality, AESA has carried out a detailed study that has allowed identifying those areas where actions can be developed without prior agreement. As a result, the exemption applies to most of the municipality of Barcelona, excluding only certain areas close to the airport and the surroundings of Montjuïc, the higher elevation of which makes it necessary to maintain the ordinary protection regime.

General requirements for exemption

The exemption, published in the Official State Gazette (BOE), is applicable exclusively in the areas delimited in the plans published by AESA and provided that the conditions established in the resolution are respected.

Among the requirements it stands out not to exceed 45 meters of height on the terrain or surrounding water. In addition, prior authorization will continue to be required for facilities that may pose a risk to air operations, such as foci of fauna attraction, smoke or dust generating facilities or certain solar plants capable of producing glare.

This initiative is part of AESA's strategy to promote more efficient and proportionate regulation, based on technical and risk analysis criteria. In this way, the Agency facilitates the activity of citizens and public administrations while maintaining as a priority the protection of air navigation and the safety of operations.