Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport serves as the main international gateway for Spain's capital city and its metropolitan area. Located right within Madrid's city limits, you will find it positioned 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) from the financial district and 13 kilometres (8.1 miles) northeast of the historic centre. Spanning 3,050 hectares, it stands as Europe's second-largest airport by physical area and a vital bridge linking Europe with Latin America.
The airport acts as the primary hub and maintenance base for Iberia, Iberia Express, Iberia Regional, Air Europa, Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, and World2Fly. You will navigate an layout organised into five passenger terminals: T1, T2, T3, T4, and T4S. Terminals 1, 2, and 3 are adjacent structures hosting SkyTeam and Star Alliance members, while Terminal 4 and its satellite building handle Iberia and Oneworld partners.
01 Terminals & concourses
Terminal 1 forms part of the original adjacent terminal complex, featuring continuous gate numbering with its neighbors. It handles international flights alongside select regional long-distance coaches.
Originally built as the National Terminal in 1954, Terminal 2 sits adjacent to T1 and T3. It directly connects to the airport's central indoor parking facilities and Madrid Metro Line 8.
Formerly known as the North Dock, Terminal 3 is connected continuously with Terminals 1 and 2. It forms part of the main original cluster handling European and domestic alliance traffic.
Inaugurated in 2006, this award-winning, light-filled terminal designed by Antonio Lamela, Richard Rogers, and Luis Vidal covers landside and airside structures. It serves as the primary base for Iberia and its Oneworld partners.
Terminal 4S is a satellite building situated approximately 2 kilometres away from T4. It operates separate gate sections accessible strictly via an underground automated people mover.
Airport map
The free OpenStreetMap layer below shows the whole airport — terminals, concourses, access roads and the parking garages. Zoom in for gate-level detail.
Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL, free). Official gate/terminal maps are copyrighted — we link to them.
02 Which terminal does my airline use?
Airlines are grouped by alliance and region. Always confirm the concourse printed on your boarding pass — assignments can change seasonally.
Show all airlines by terminal ›
Grouped by terminal — check the concourse on your boarding pass before you fly; assignments can change seasonally.
Lost, delayed or damaged baggage at MAD
If your checked bag doesn't turn up on the belt, act before you leave the baggage-claim area — that's where every airline keeps its Baggage Service Office.
- Go to your airline's Baggage Service Office in the baggage-claim hall of your arrival terminal.
- File a Property Irregularity Report (PIR) and get your file reference (WorldTracer) number. Keep your bag-tag receipt and boarding pass.
- Track it online using that reference on your airline's baggage-tracking page — most bags are located within 24–48 hours.
- Claim your essentials. On delayed bags airlines reimburse reasonable interim purchases (toiletries, clothing) — keep receipts. International trips are covered by the Montreal Convention.
- If it's truly lost (generally after 21 days) or damaged, file the claim at the same office — damage must be reported before you leave the airport.
Left something in the terminal (not a checked bag)? That's handled by the airport Lost & Found. Items left at a TSA security checkpoint are held by the TSA, not the airline.
03 Getting to & from MAD
These are the ground-transport options connecting the airport with the city. Fares and schedules change — check the operator before you travel.
| Option | Details |
|---|---|
| Rail | Line 8 (Madrid Metro) connects underground stations at T2 and T4 directly to Nuevos Ministerios station in the financial district. |
| Rail | Cercanías Line C-1 connects Terminal 4 to main railway hubs including Chamartín Station and Atocha AVE high-speed train station. |
| Bus | EMT public bus 200 serves departures and arrivals at T1, T2, and T4; express buses operate 24 hours a day to Atocha and Plaza Cibeles. |
| Bus | CRTM intercity buses (lines 822, 824, 827, 828) link terminals with surrounding metropolitan areas, while long-distance coaches (Avanzabus, Alsa, Socibus) depart from T1 and T4. |
| People Mover | An underground, driverless transit system runs continuously across a 2-kilometre track to shuttle you between T4 and T4S. |
| Road | Official white taxis with red stripes operate from signed ranks at all arrivals areas, while Bolt provides designated ride-hailing pickup areas. |
04 Lounges & amenities
Iberia offers renovated lounges in Terminal 4, including the Dali and Velazquez lounges.