Bilbao Arrivals

Bilbao Airport dates back to the 1950´s and is now a three level building with four gates which handles over three million passengers every year. 

In the year 2000 a stunning terminal costing over 43 million euros designed in the shape of a dove in flight by the architect Santiago Calatrava was opened to cope with its increasing passenger traffic which rose by just over 15% in 2006.

Bilbao Airport deals mostly with domestic flights which make up 73.6% of its traffic with the remaining 26.4% comprising international passengers.

Bilbao Airport has good motorway access to the nearby city centre, and if you are hiring a car you must take care to drive within the outer perimeter speed limit which is 85 km per hour.

Bilbao is a modern Airport which takes pride in its extra security measures and is equipped with up to date robotic systems for handling possible terrorist attempts and explosives detection. There are advanced illumination systems here and the luggage is handled by fast conveyor belts which can cope with high volumes.

On disembarking (by air bridge or remotely) passengers access an open-plan baggage reclaim lounge on the ground floor of the passenger terminal building. Information offices, hotel reservation offices and other services are located around this area. Passengers then exit the building into a square covered by a 38-metre overhanging projection supporting the access road. Access to the P1 general car park is via an underground passageway and the car hire offices are on the ground floor of the P1 car park.

The Arrivals Hall is a large bright room on the ground floor at Bilbao Airport.  Here you will find seven baggage reclaim carousels and various car hire and hotel reservation companies.

There is no train service at the airport but there is a good bus service to the centre of Bilbao and there are plenty of airport taxis outside the terminal buildings which are all clearly signposted.

If you need to obtain information on Bilbao when you arrive at the airport, there is a tourist and business information office in the arrivals floor and another on the departures floor by luggage check-in counter 36. When these offices are closed information can be obtained at the Aena counters.  The bank is open from 6:00 to 23:00 hours and several ATM machines also may be found on the P2 departure level.