Barajas airport is the main international airport in the Spanish capital, Madrid, and handled more than 52 million passengers last year.
Opened in 1928, it has expanded significantly over the years and is now one of the most important aviation bases in Europe, forming a key link from Europe to Latin America and handling most of Spain's transatlantic flights.
Terminal four at Barajas, designed by the British architect Richard Rogers, was opened two years ago, doubling the capacity of the airport. Two more runways were constructed at the same time to help with the flow of air traffic.
A bomb exploded in the car park building attached to terminal four in December 2006, killing two people. An anonymous caller claiming to represent the Basque separatist group Eta said it was responsible.
guardian.co.uk © Guardian Newspapers Limited 2008
