Madrid Airport Terminals: Which Airline Flies From Where
Sixty-eight million passengers a year and nearly a hundred airlines: that is Madrid's Barajas airport. It has four terminals. Five, strictly speaking, if you count T4S. And one of them has not a single airline assigned to it.
Your ticket usually says, proudly, "Madrid", but no terminal number. So there you are at the first entrance you came to, while your flight leaves from a building ten minutes away by bus. After a night flight, the last thing you want is to work out where to go and how to get there. So here is a short cheat sheet, and below it the things people usually only find out at the airport.
Which airline uses which terminal
| Terminal | Who flies from here | Getting to the centre |
|---|---|---|
| T1 | Ryanair, easyJet, Air Europa (international flights outside Schengen), Delta, United, Turkish Airlines, Air Canada, Aeroméxico, Korean Air, Saudia | Metro line 8, Exprés Aeropuerto bus, taxi |
| T2 | Air Europa (domestic and Schengen flights), Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, Swiss, TAP, ITA Airways, Norwegian, Volotea, Wizz Air, Transavia | Metro line 8, Exprés Aeropuerto bus, taxi |
| T3 | no airlines, it is part of the same building as T1 and T2 | the same as T1 and T2 |
| T4 and T4S | Iberia, Vueling, Air Nostrum, British Airways, American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Emirates, LATAM, Avianca, Aer Lingus, Finnair | Metro line 8, Cercanías train, Exprés Aeropuerto bus, taxi |
List based on Aena data as of 23 October 2026. The airport occasionally moves airlines between terminals, so check your ticket before you fly.
T1, T2 and T3: three terminals in one building
Let's start with the good news: T1, T2 and T3 stand right next to each other and are joined by walkways. From T1 to T2 is about four minutes on foot. The gates are lettered in sequence, so it is hard to get lost here. Though some people still manage it.
Now the odd part: T3 exists, but no airlines fly from it. Aena's official list does not put a single airline down for the third terminal. It is simply part of the shared building. So if someone tells you with great confidence "see you at T3", ask what exactly they mean.
The logic goes like this. T1 handles long-haul flights and low-cost carriers: Ryanair, easyJet, Delta, United, Turkish Airlines. T2 is mostly Schengen flights: Air France, KLM, Lufthansa, TAP, ITA Airways, Norwegian, Volotea. Wizz Air flies from here too, and is opening a base in Madrid this autumn.
Air Europa: one airline, two terminals
Air Europa causes the most confusion, because it flies from two terminals at once. Flights within Spain and Schengen leave from T2, while international flights outside Schengen, including London and Tel Aviv, go from T1.
In other words, "I'm flying Air Europa" tells you nothing about the terminal yet. Look at the destination. Flying to Palma or Paris: you want T2. To New York or London: T1. Luckily both terminals are in the same building: if you mix them up, it is a few minutes' walk, not a tragedy.
T4 and T4S: the home of Iberia
T4 is a separate building, and this is where it gets serious. It is home to Iberia, Vueling, Air Nostrum and almost the whole Oneworld alliance: British Airways, American Airlines, Qatar Airways, Finnair. Plus Emirates, LATAM and Avianca, which are not in Oneworld but also fly from T4.
T4 has a satellite, T4S. It is a separate building, and you cannot walk there. A driverless underground train runs between them, and the ride takes about three minutes.
Getting from one terminal to another
A free bus runs around the clock between T1, T2, T3 and T4. By day, from 6:00 to 22:00, it comes every five minutes; at night, every twenty minutes. From T1 to T4 it takes about ten minutes, from T2 to T4 about eight.
If you are connecting from T2 to T4, do not cut it fine. The bus is not the whole story: when you change terminals you sometimes have to go through security again. Ask your airline how much time you need for the connection. Aena does not publish these figures.
Getting from the airport to central Madrid
The metro. Line 8 stops at T1-T2-T3 and at T4 and runs to Nuevos Ministerios station, where you change to other lines. An airport supplement of €3 is added to the ordinary ticket. It is one of the cheapest ways in, if you are travelling light and staying near the metro.
The Cercanías train runs from T4 only. Line C1 gets you to Chamartín station in about 15 minutes; there are no direct trains to Atocha. If you are flying Iberia or Vueling, it is handy: out of the terminal and down to the platform.
The Exprés Aeropuerto bus runs around the clock and costs €5. From the airport it goes via T4, T2 and T1 to Cibeles and Atocha station, and at night only as far as Cibeles. You can pay by card on board.
A taxi from the airport to any address inside the M-30 ring road costs a fixed €33, in either direction and at any time of day or night. If your hotel is outside the ring, the meter runs. We go into which option works out best, and when, in our article on getting from the airport to the centre.
How your driver meets you
With a transfer, the terminal stops being your problem. After a long flight it is nice to walk out of the terminal knowing the car is already waiting. The driver tracks the flight number and has the car there for when the plane actually lands, and the first 60 minutes of waiting are free. Once you land, the driver messages you in the app chat to say where the car is.
A transfer from Madrid airport to the centre costs from €42 per car, to Chamartín station from €32, to Atocha station from €39. Trip conditions and prices by class are on the route page.
Frequently asked questions
Which Madrid terminal does Iberia fly from?
From T4 and its satellite T4S. Vueling, Air Nostrum and most Oneworld alliance airlines are there too.
Which Madrid terminal does Ryanair fly from?
From T1. easyJet and many long-haul airlines, such as Delta, United and Turkish Airlines, are there too.
Which terminal does Air Europa fly from?
From two: flights within Spain and Schengen from T2, flights outside Schengen, including London and Tel Aviv, from T1.
Which airlines fly from T3?
None. According to Aena, T3 is part of the shared building with T1 and T2, and no airlines are assigned to it.
How do I get from T1 to T4?
On the free bus: it runs around the clock, every 5 minutes by day and every 20 at night. The ride takes about 10 minutes.
How much is a taxi from Madrid airport to the centre?
A fixed €33 to any address inside the M-30 ring road, at any time of day or night. Outside the ring, it is on the meter.
You book in the Let's GO app or on the website: enter the pick-up address and the destination, and the price appears straight away, before you confirm.