The Barcelona-El Prat Airport was set to be a success again in 2026. The airport planned to manage from last Friday until Sunday, March 8, a total of 9,146 flights capable of transporting 1,749,702 seats. The attack by the United States and Israel on Iran and the uncertainty of its consequences together with the closure of airspace in the Middle East is causing a wave of flight cancellations and will certainly affect the.
From the congress itself, a spokesperson assured at noon this Sunday that the escalation of war and the closure of airports “will affect a small number of visitors and exhibitors and some speakers at the congress.” The management has not made a forecast about the impact that may occur just the year in which the 20th anniversary of the high-profile congress is celebrated in the Catalan capital.
This 2026 edition begins this Monday the 2nd and will last until Thursday the 5th at the Fira’s Gran Via venue. Until the attack on Iran, the organizers’ forecast was to exceed 109,000 attendees, which was a record for the 2025 edition. Something that now, and with international transportation cut off to the Middle East, will not be achieved. In fact, Qatar, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Iran, Israel, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq have closed the airspace. In addition, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Oman and Lebanon have affected and restricted airspace.
At the Barcelona airport, several flights were affected and many of them were full of congressmen. El Prat airport has canceled flights with Kuwait and Tel Aviv, and connections with Doha, Abu Dhabi or the United Arab Emirates are in danger. In addition to other flights that connect Barcelona with Asia or Australia and that use Doha as a connecting hub between Asia and Europe and that are in danger of cancellation. In fact, companies like Qatar Airwais have suspended all flights.
From the MWC they assure that the number of cancellations is still uncertain although nothing leads to optimism. The Spanish businessmen who are dedicated to transporting congressmen this week are already pointing out that the escalation of war can greatly affect the congress of this 2026. “We are having a lot of impact on clients and suppliers who had to come from South Africa, Southeast Asia and Australia who have already told us that they cannot arrive. There are many cancellations,” warn sources from the sector. “This Sunday we are holding the first meetings to start the congress tomorrow. We are already missing participants from Australia and Dubai and we fear that there will be more absences,” lament the same sources.
The forecast for this year’s MWC was to bring together 2,900 exhibitors, nearly 110,000 attendees and generate an economic impact of close to 585 million euros. Attendees from 205 countries were expected and the line-up was full in almost all the hotels in L’Hospitalet de Llobregat and Barcelona in addition to the tourist apartments.
