Hotels near ⁨Bilbao Airport (BIO)⁩

Bilbao Airport (IATA: BIO, ICAO: LEBB) is a minor international airport located 9 km (5.6 mi) north of Bilbao, in the municipality of Loiu, in Biscay. It is the largest airport in the Basque Country and northern Spain, with 6,336,441 passengers in 2023. It is famous for its new main terminal, which opened in 2000, designed by Santiago Calatrava. == History == === Foundation and early years === On 19 February 1985, an Iberia flight from Madrid crashed into Mount Oiz; all passengers and crew died. === Development since 1990 === In February 2009, plans were announced to expand the terminal building, the facilities and the car parking so as to double the current capacity to 8 million passengers. The work was expected be finished in 2014 and cost €114 million but in 2010 the Spanish Government announced the project would be delayed by at least five years due to spending cuts and a decline in passenger numbers. == Design of the passenger terminal == The terminal has a sleek design, with two symmetrical "wings" and a sharp tip at its center which is especially visible when approaching the terminal from the sides. This original design has granted the building the nickname of La Paloma ("The Dove"). Users of the airport widely complained about its lack of an arrivals area, since once passengers cleared customs, they stepped directly outside, and there they were often exposed to the elements. The airport built a glass-walled shelter to remedy this problem. == Traffic == With the past increase of traffic, the terminal would have become saturated again in a year because it is designed to handle about 4.5 million passengers per year. In 2007, it nearly reached its maximum capacity. However, the Great Recession reversed the situation by early 2009, decreasing the number of passengers by 24% in January compared to the previous year. In 2014, traffic was on the rise again, and the airport saw the recovery of passengers up to 5.4 million passengers by 2018. == Airlines and destinations == The following airlines operate regular scheduled and charter flights at Bilbao Airport: == Statistics == === Top carriers === === Busiest routes === == Public transport == === Bus === BizkaiBus: A bus line (A3247) connects Bilbao city center (Plaza Elíptica) and the city bus station with the airport. Buses depart every 12 minutes during July and August, and every 15 minutes the rest of the year. The bus reaches the city center in 15 minutes. A bus line (A2153) connects Bilbao city center (San Jose square) with Larrabetzu stopping at the airport. Buses depart every hour. Starting in 2029, bus line (A3248) will connect Ansio metro station in Barakaldo with the airport via the Rontegi bridge. Buses will depart every 30 minutes. Lurraldebus: DO04 bus line operated by Lurraldebus to Donostia-San Sebastián; its only stop is at Zarautz - adjacent to one of the town's two Euskotren stations (at the eastern end of the town). Buses depart every hour October to June, and every 30 minutes from the end of June to the end of September. DG12 bus line operated by Lurraldebus to Mondragón with stops in Eibar and Bergara; the last daily service continues until Oñati. There are 6 buses departing from Bergara every day, and a single bus from Oñati. Autobuses La Unión: Line A3720 connects Vitoria-Gasteiz city center with Bilbao airport, buses depart every 2 hours in the winter months, and every hour in the busier months, stopping at Vitoria bus station, Vitoria Airport and Bolueta metro station in Bilbao. === Metro extension === There is a project to extend the Bilbao Metro's Line 3 to the airport in the near future, but there is no official timetable yet. == Accidents and incidents == On 15 September 1975 British Airways flight NS552 operated by Trident 1E G-AVYD was written off at Bilbao while taking off. The aircraft came off the runway following the commander's decision to abort the take-off on a wet runway at or close to V1. On 7 February 2001, Iberia Flight IB1456 arriving from Barcelona encountered wind shear while landing and suffered collapsed landing gear. All people on board survived but 25 people were injured. == See also == List of airports in Spain == References == == External links == Media related to Bilbao Airport at Wikimedia Commons Official website (in English and Spanish)