Departure
98%
vs 95% ▲ 2
MY FS FLIGHTS
MY FS FLIGHTS
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport is Spain's principal international gateway, sitting on the northeastern edge of the capital and operated by Aena. With four parallel runways and full ILS coverage on its north-facing approaches, it is one of the busiest and most complex airports in Europe, offering a demanding but rewarding destination for the simulator pilot flying heavy IFR traffic into a major hub.
Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (LEMD) is the main airport serving Madrid and the principal hub for Iberia and its partner carriers. It lies on the northeastern fringe of the city, close to the district and town of Barajas from which it takes its historic name. For a simulator pilot the field is notable for its sheer scale: four long parallel runways operated independently, a high field elevation for a major European airport, and a busy terminal airspace that channels a constant flow of heavy jet traffic into closely spaced parallel approaches.
The airport sits within Madrid's terminal control area, in the Madrid Flight Information Region, and is surrounded by controlled airspace that extends well beyond the airfield boundary to accommodate its high-density jet traffic. It is located to the northeast of central Madrid, in the vicinity of the town of Barajas, from which the airport traditionally took its name before the 2014 renaming. Other airfields in the wider Madrid area, including Torrejón, Cuatro Vientos and Getafe, lie within the same general terminal airspace and are relevant for pilots routing around the capital.
The airport has four parallel hard-surfaced runways, all lit, arranged in two pairs aligned north-south and northwest-southeast. Runway 18L/36R measures 9,817 ft in the 18L direction and 11,653 ft in the 36R direction, with an ILS serving runway 18L. Runway 18R/36L measures 11,019 ft in the 18R direction and 14,219 ft in the 36L direction, with an ILS serving runway 18R. Runway 14L/32R measures 11,676 ft in the 14L direction and 9,842 ft in the 32R direction, with an ILS serving runway 32R. Runway 14R/32L measures 13,423 ft in the 14R direction and 10,347 ft in the 32L direction, with an ILS serving runway 32L. Field elevation is 1,949 ft.
Madrid Approach is available on 127.5 MHz. The ATIS broadcasts on 118.25 MHz, with a separate departure ATIS on 130.85 MHz. Clearance delivery is split between 130.075 MHz (East) and 130.35 MHz (West). Ground movements are handled on 121.85 MHz, and Fire/emergency is on 122.975 MHz. Tower control is distributed across the parallel runways: 118.07 MHz for runway 36L, 118.15 MHz for runway 14R, 118.67 MHz for runway 36R and 118.975 MHz for runway 14L. Instrument approaches are available, with ILS serving runways 18L, 18R, 32L and 32R.
The airport's name reflects a significant chapter of modern Spanish political history: in 2014 it was officially renamed Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport in honour of the former Prime Minister Adolfo Suárez, a central figure in Spain's transition to democracy. The airport's development has closely tracked the growth of Spanish commercial aviation through the twentieth century, and the later construction of Terminal 4 was a milestone in its expansion, marking a substantial step change in the airport's capacity and standing among Europe's major hubs.
Today the airport functions as Iberia's principal hub and Spain's busiest airport, handling a continuous flow of international and domestic airline traffic across its four parallel runways. It is operated by Aena as part of the Spanish state airport network.
