In 2002, Barcelona Airport decided to install a new automatic parking system for Terminal 2 to cope with the various different categories of users: tourists, airline and airport staff, vendors, security personnel, car rental operators, etc. The primary requirement asked of the system was that it ensured maximum fluidity and speed for every type of user arriving at and leaving the parking area. In 2008, in view of the success of the system, Barcelona Airport decided to expand it to Terminal 1 and combine it with the parking system in use there.

The proposed system is made up of:

• entrance and exit terminals equipped with a number-plate recognition system that can match parking tickets to vehicle plates;
• automated ticket machines that can accept cash, credit cards and payments through NFC.

A particular feature of the system is its exclusive guidance system that keeps watch over more than 13,000 parking bays, facilitates ease of access to them and offers users a fast and secure parking experience. A central server searches for and indicates unoccupied spaces, which enhances the free flow of vehicle traffic while providing greater control of the parking areas.