Iberia says "Latin America and the Caribbean have always been at the centre of our strategy but this year we will go further"

Iberia will consolidate its recovery after the pandemic in the summer of 2023, with a focus on its long-haul markets: Latin America and the United States.

For the airline sector, the summer season begins on March 25 and runs until October 28, six months in which Iberia's biggest bet will be concentrated in Latin America. 

After the recovery of its entire network of destinations, the airline has scheduled capacity increases in its most strategic markets in this region, will deploy marketing campaigns and other communication, public relations and sponsorship actions to increase its brand recognition in the 16 Latin American countries where it flies.

"Latin America and the Caribbean have always been at the centre of our strategy but this year we will go further to have more presence in markets such as Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, strengthen our leadership in routes between Latin America and Europe and, at the same time, defend the position of Madrid airport as a bridge between both regions", commented Mª Jesús López-Solás, Commercial, Network and Alliances Director of Iberia.

It has already recovered its entire network of destinations and has scheduled for this summer about 280 weekly flights between Spain and Latin America, 23.4 percent more operations than in 2022 and already above 2019

With Mexico, Iberia already offers three daily flights, in Bogotá it will go from 14 to 18 weekly frequencies and in Lima it will grow another three frequencies, from seven to 10

In the U.S. it also increases its flights by about 15 percent compared to 2022, recovers the summer routes to San Francisco and Washington and will fly to Dallas every day.

It will offer its customers attractive summer destinations in Greece (Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini), Croatia (Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb), Italy (Catania and Olbia) and Portugal (Faro)

In addition, it grows on other European routes such as Stockholm, Dusseldorf, Oslo and Venice, as well as Milan and Rome in Italy.

In Spain, the biggest bet continues to be the Air Bridge between Madrid and Barcelona, where Iberia has already scheduled the same capacity as in summer 2019

In the summer season, Iberia will recover all its pre-pandemic flight offer and has even scheduled a growth of its operations of 23.4 percent over 2022 and also above 2019: 2 percent more flights in the summer season, and five percent more than in the global year.

Specifically, it will offer about 280 weekly flights with 18 destinations in 16 Latin American countries:

Bogotá: Colombia is being one of Iberia's star markets. In the last year it has grown from 10 to 14 frequencies; From June, it will operate 18 frequencies and the company's intention is to offer 21 frequencies – three daily flights – from November, which would triple its capacity compared to 2019.

Buenos Aires: The two daily flights with the capital of Argentina are consolidated

Lima: Iberia grows from seven to 10 frequencies from June until the end of the year, with the intention of reaching the double daily flight.

Mexico: The three daily flights reached in December 2023 are maintained throughout 2022, already above the pre-pandemic capacity.

Quito: The six weekly frequencies are also consolidated -two more than last summer-, which are added to three other frequencies with Guayaquil.

Montevideo: Since January, Iberia offers up to seven weekly frequencies, which will be maintained for most of the year

In Santiago de Chile the daily flight is consolidated.

Rio de Janeiro: The operation continues with three weekly frequencies, in addition to another seven with Sao Paulo

In Central America, the increase in daily flight on the Guatemala-El Salvador route that occurred in December is consolidated, as well as in San José, Costa Rica. Panama will have between five and seven weekly frequencies throughout the summer, and daily flight from November.

Latin America and the United States are the focus for Iberia's summer 2023 schedule.

Iberia will consolidate its recovery after the pandemic in the summer of 2023, with a focus on its long-haul markets: Latin America and the United States.

For the airline sector, the summer season begins on March 25 and runs until October 28, six months in which Iberia's biggest bet will be concentrated in Latin America. After the recovery of its entire network of destinations, the airline has scheduled capacity increases in its most strategic markets in this region, will deploy marketing campaigns and other communication, public relations and sponsorship actions to increase its brand recognition in the 16 Latin American countries where it flies.

"Latin America and the Caribbean have always been at the center of our strategy but this year we will go further to have more presence in markets such as Argentina, Colombia, Mexico and Peru, strengthen our leadership in routes between Latin America and Europe and, at the same time, defend the position of Madrid airport as a bridge between both regions", commented Mª Jesús López-Solás, Commercial, Network and Alliances Director of Iberia.

It has already recovered its entire network of destinations and has scheduled for this summer about 280 weekly flights between Spain and Latin America, 23.4 percent more operations than in 2022 and already above 2019

With Mexico, Iberia already offers three daily flights, in Bogotá it will go from 14 to 18 weekly frequencies and in Lima it will grow another three frequencies, from seven to 10

In the U.S. it also increases its flights by about 15 percent compared to 2022, recovers the summer routes to San Francisco and Washington and will fly to Dallas every day.

It will offer its customers attractive summer destinations in Greece (Corfu, Mykonos and Santorini), Croatia (Dubrovnik, Split and Zagreb), Italy (Catania and Olbia) and Portugal (Faro)

In addition, it grows on other European routes such as Stockholm, Dusseldorf, Oslo and Venice, as well as Milan and Rome in Italy.

In Spain, the biggest bet continues to be the Air Bridge between Madrid and Barcelona, where Iberia has already scheduled the same capacity as in summer 2019

In the summer season, Iberia will recover all its pre-pandemic flight offer and has even scheduled a growth of its operations of 23.4 percent over 2022 and also above 2019: 2 percent more flights in the summer season, and five percent more than in the global year.

Specifically, it will offer about 280 weekly flights with 18 destinations in 16 Latin American countries:

Bogotá: Colombia is being one of Iberia's star markets. In the last year it has grown from 10 to 14 frequencies; From June, it will operate 18 frequencies and the company's intention is to offer 21 frequencies – three daily flights – from November, which would triple its capacity compared to 2019.

Buenos Aires: The two daily flights with the capital of Argentina are consolidated

Lima: Iberia grows from seven to 10 frequencies from June until the end of the year, with the intention of reaching the double daily flight.

Mexico: The three daily flights reached in December 2023 are maintained throughout 2022, already above the pre-pandemic capacity.

Quito: The six weekly frequencies are also consolidated -two more than last summer-, which are added to three other frequencies with Guayaquil.

Montevideo: Since January, Iberia offers up to seven weekly frequencies, which will be maintained for most of the year

In Santiago de Chile the daily flight is consolidated.

Rio de Janeiro: The operation continues with three weekly frequencies, in addition to another seven with Sao Paulo

In Central America, the increase in daily flight on the Guatemala-El Salvador route that occurred in December is consolidated, as well as in San José, Costa Rica. Panama will have between five and seven weekly frequencies throughout the summer, and daily flight from November.

Iberia is the first airline in the World to obtain all three Aenor Innovation certificates

Iberia is at the forefront of innovation, as demonstrated by its three Aenor certificates.  It is the first company in the tourism sector and the first airline in the world to obtain these three certificates simultaneously. In Spain, only three companies have achieved all three UNE certificates, and one of them is Iberia.

The UNE are certifiable specifications whose objective is to standardise processes, establishing requirements to be fulfilled by organisations according to each type of standard. Iberia has obtained the three UNE innovation certificates that endorse its innovation, surveillance, and intelligence management system, as well as its capacity to carry out the technological transfer of its own intellectual property to a third company.

Iberia Airport Services, at the Forefront of Digitisation and Innovation in the Handling Sector. Obtaining these innovation UNEs is directly linked to the ramp handling tenders called by Aena, in which Iberia Airport Services is bidding for the licences at 41 airports. The technical section of these tenders has been built on three verticals: innovation, sustainability, and people, and Iberia Airport Services has presented a very robust proposal in all three of them.

IAG Cargo restarts services to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro from Madrid

 IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has announced the revival of two services from its hub at Madrid Barajas Airport to Caracas (Venezuela) and Rio de Janeiro (Brazil). These routes join IAG Cargo’s increased capacity to Latin American destinations this winter, including Chile, Mexico and Ecuador.

 

The flights to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro will operate three times a week, commencing in November; the services to Caracas will utilise the bellyhold of an Iberia A350 aircraft and an A330-200 to Rio de Janeiro. IAG Cargo’s sister airline Iberia recently announced a return to pre-pandemic levels and has re-established its entire network of flights and destinations in Latin America, adding the two remaining destinations (Caracas and Rio de Janeiro).

IAG Cargo announces the restart of services from its Madrid hub to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro.

These routes join IAG Cargo’s increased capacity to Latin American destinations this winter, including Chile, Mexico and Ecuador.

The addition of these services will offer customers more uplift between Latin America and Europe

 

These routes facilitate the movement of perishables and popular foods grown locally including flowers, papayas, mangos, and figs. Every year IAG Cargo transports large volumes of perishables out of Central and South America to European markets, via its Constant Fresh service, designed to optimise shelf life using aircraft hold temperature settings monitored closely throughout the flight.

 

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo said: “I’m delighted to offer our customers additional capacity between Latin America, Europe and UK. The revival of these services will have a great impact on the economy and livelihoods in both Caracas and Rio de Janeiro, as exporting food and perishables plays a huge part in their economies. When it comes to transporting perishables - air cargo plays a vital role, ensuring products arrive on supermarket shelves in the same condition as harvest.”

IAG Cargo’s hub at Madrid airport handles over 200,000 tonnes of cargo every year with frequent services to cities in Europe such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, and Stockholm. The Madrid hub is also an important gateway for Spanish textile manufacturers transporting the latest fashions into the Americas.

The six best books to combat the fear of flying

Photo by Max Delsid on Unsplash

Have you ever felt that the fear of flying has prevented you from being able to plan the trip of your dreams?

The fear of flying is a fear that around 25% of the world's population suffers today. The plane is the safest transport of all, but there are data that do not comfort those who suffer from this phobia. Luckily, there are different aids to be able to face it, and books are one of the most effective ways. Also with books, you can combat the fear of flying: through them you can learn to manage this type of situation, working in the best way with yourself to overcome it.

The number of books that talk about this topic is wide. To make it easier, we suggest a selection of six books to combat the fear of flying:

Happy Flight: How to Lose the Fear of Flying

A book written by an experienced former Iberia pilot (Javier del Campo) and a psychologist specializing in self-control and relaxation therapies (Luisa C. Martín). It allows you to discover the method guaranteed by a 95% efficiency to overcome the fear of flying. The first part is dedicated to aeronautics and the second develops psychological and relaxation techniques.

Beyond fear, quickly overcome fears, obsessions and phobias

Its author is Giorgio Nardone, a therapist specializing in phobic disorders. His extensive career has allowed him to develop different techniques to treat this disorder. It shows what is the origin of pathological fear and the ways in which it manifests and maintains in people, in order to help quickly overcome phobias, obsessions and panic.

Nifty Noshes in Buenos Aires Terraces & Markets

Argentina‘s capital is a very cosmopolitan city, full of hustle and bustle day and night as well as plenty of cool stuff to keep visitors busy, including its parks, picturesque neighbourhoods, cultural/entertainment offerings, a kicking nightlife, and not least, a world-class foodie scene, explains Spanish airline Iberia.

Excellent Open-Air Feeds all around Town

From street food to steak houses (beef is still king hereabouts) to upscale, nouvelle fine dining (a number of which boast Michelin stars), Buenos Aires these days is a tasty playground for gourmands and gourmets alike. In addition, it offers a fun way for both visitors and locals to try out different cuisines by dining patio-style with open-air food stalls. It’s an initiative carried out in different neighbourhoods where you can taste everything from its famous grilled meats, pizzas and hamburgers to typical dishes from other countries.

One of them is the Patio Gastronómico de Rodrigo Bueno, straddling the Puerto Madero and La Boca neighbourhoods. It began in 2019 with five chefs who wanted to promote both the local cuisine and lifestyle. They say that here ceviche (tangy lemon/lime-cured seafood) is the most popular dish, but we recommend you also try their hamburgers, pizzas, and tacos, and maybe sample an unusual cuisine or two (Paraguayan, anyone?).

Another is Smart Plaza Patio Parque Patricios (left), in the the working-class neighbourhood of the same name in the south of the city, with a half dozen food stalls and seating for 800. It’s billed as “Latin America’s “first technological food court”, and there’s for example a dedicated app for ordering your eats as well as cool extras like visiting a virtual zoo and snapping shots in different Argentine landscapes using augmented reality.

Then over in the Caballito and Flores districts in the centre of B.A. you’ll find the Patio de los Lecheros, one of the city’s most colourful, and which takes its name from an old railway station where dairy producers (lecheros) used to come to sell to the city’s merchants. Sushi, hamburgers, grilled meats, cocktails and tasty pastries are among the treats available, and can also be ordered via dedicated app; it tends to be busier at weekends, but even so, it’s worth the wait. 

A fourth similar option, the Patio Costanera Norte, is located along the Avenida Costanera Rafael Obligado, which runs along the Rio de la Plata riverfront of the Recoletos and Pamermo neighbourhoods, and stands out because its two terraces offer great water views. Seating 240, it’s got five food stalls plus a bar, where you can savour hamburgers, pizza, Latin American fare, and ceviche.

Iberia moves to London-Heathrow Terminal 3

From 12 July, Iberia will move all its operations to London-Heathrow Airport’s Terminal 3, with the aim of improving both flight operations and customer service.  

All its flights will land and take off from this terminal, as well as those of its oneworld partner American Airlines. Meanwhile, most British Airways flights, including all flights to and from Spain, will operate from Heathrow’s T5. 

The new Iberia check-in area will be located in Zone C, where passengers can check in their luggage, print their boarding pass, and carry out any other business with the airport’s Iberia team. 

The services on offer will be the same as in the previous terminal, including special services such as providing assistance for passengers who need wheelchairs and unaccompanied minors, and access to Fast Track and VIP lounges. Passengers travelling in Business class and Iberia Plus Oro, Platino and Infinita cardholders will be able to enjoy, under the same conditions as before, the Galleries Club and First VIP lounges, both in Terminal 3. 

Iberia reduces its CO2 emissions the most on long-haul flights

Since 2019 Iberia has reduced its emissions by 17 percent, according to the study conducted by IBA Insight.

This improvement is driven by the renewal of the fleet – above all, by the incorporation of the new Airbus A350 for long-haul routes – and different operational and weight reduction measures on board.

Iberia's sustainability strategy is based on four pillars to advance the decarbonisation of the aviation sector

 

Iberia is the second airline in the world that has reduced its CO2 emissions the most on long-haul flights, according to the report prepared by the independent aviation consultancy IBA, which carries out the annual monitoring of more than 65,000 aircraft and 35 million flights.

According to this report, since 2019 Iberia has reduced its CO2 emissions by 17% per seat-kilometre on its long-haul flights, which:

According to ATAG, air transport represents 2.1 percent of global emissions and, within that, flights of more than 1,500 kilometres account for 80% of emissions, so it is especially relevant to increase efficiency on these routes.

The IBA report attributes this decrease of Iberia in its CO2 emissions, to the fleet renewal that the Spanish airline has carried out and that began in 2013, with the incorporation of the first twin-engine aircraft - the Airbus A330/300 - into its long-haul fleet. In 2018, the Airbus A350 began to arrive and in 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, Iberia decided to advance the withdrawal of the Airbus A340/600, the last four-engine aircraft with which it operated its long-haul routes.

 

Fleet renewal is key to the decarbonisation of the sector

As there has been a gradual recovery of its flight schedule, Iberia has resumed its aircraft delivery schedule and, so far this year, Iberia has already received three A350s and five A320neos. The incorporation of these two models and the withdrawal of the A340 from its fleet, in the summer of 2020, has significantly reduced fuel consumption. Currently, the entire Iberia long-haul fleet is composed of twin-engine aircraft (A330 and A350), which means a reduction in CO2 emissions compared to the A340s that operated with four engines.

The A350 model is the quietest on the market and, in addition, between 30 and 35 percent more efficient in terms of fuel consumption and CO2 emissions, thanks to the latest generation materials with which it is built and the advanced design of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines.

The A320neo is the most technologically advanced and efficient aircraft in Iberia's short- and medium-haul fleet. Equipped with Leap-1A type CFM engines, it is 50% quieter and between 15% and 20% more environmentally friendly, as it emits 5,000 tons less CO2 per year and 50% less NOx.

 

The sustainability strategy, at the heart of the company

The decarbonisation of the aviation sector is complex, but the industry currently has solutions that can show an almost immediate impact on the road to the ecological transition. In addition, the renewal of the fleet, the increase in efficiency in operations and the use of aviation fuels of sustainable origin, are other initiatives that Iberia is implementing in its goal of reaching net-zero emissions by 2050.

These initiatives are part of Iberia's strategy to advance the decarbonization of the airline sector and the airline is developing on four pillars:

The ecological transition of the aviation sector, which includes all the initiatives of fleet renewal, more efficient operations and use of sustainable aviation fuels, among other initiatives.

The creation of a more sustainable travel experience for customers, through the digitalization of services, the progressive elimination of plastics on board, the development of its waste management system and the compensation of the carbon footprint.

Training, awareness and participation in sustainability of Iberia employees, with the aim of making them ambassadors of its strategy.

Commitment to society, valuing everything that aviation brings to society through connectivity, and support for R&D&I research with the Iberia Chair.

IAG Cargo as it launches two new routes from Madrid direct to Dallas and Washington DC

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), touched down in Dallas and Washington DC on 1st June 2022 from Madrid Barajas airport, marking the inaugural routes with the welcoming of a water cannon salute to commemorate the significance of both new routes.

  IAG Cargo has also announced the restart of flights to San Francisco, marking its eighth destination in the USA from Madrid

 

The new routes will be utilising the belly capacity of an Iberia Airbus A330-200 aircraft, four times a week from Madrid Barajas airport, with the capacity to hold c. 20 tonnes of cargo. These two new routes join to over 120 weekly connections between Spain and the USA, with flights already departing twice a day to New York and Miami from Madrid. The additional routes act as a gateway to other American destinations by truck.

 

Pravin Singh, Vice President Commercial, Americas at IAG Cargo commented: “It is always exciting to see IAG Cargo launch a new route, so two new routes between Madrid and the USA is even better and provide our customers with further opportunities to move their cargo between the regions. The launch of the new routes between Madrid and Dallas and Madrid and Washington DC highlights IAG Cargo’s commitment to offering our customers accessibility into new markets and expanding our wide-body network across the globe.”

 

IAG Cargo continues to strengthen its presence in the West now offering 8 destinations in the USA from Madrid including New York, Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, Boston, Washington DC, Dallas and San Francisco. Popular commodities transported between the regions include electronic parts and textiles, as well as industrial goods and machinery.

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Fancy a salmon poke or maybe galician octopus......you can soon on an Iberia flight.

           The Spanish airline continues to restore services, and, with its catering provider DO & CO, has completely redesigned food service on short- and medium-haul flights to improve customer experience. In Business Class, Iberia is accentuating prime fresh and seasonal ingredients, the flavours of high Spanish cuisine and the rich and healthful Mediterranean diet.

Iberia is continuing to restore services and improve the passenger experience onboard, making it both safer and more enjoyable.

Its catering service provider, DO & CO, has completely redesigned food services on short- and medium-haul flights, in keeping with the company’s sustainability and digitalisation policies.

 

In Economy Class, the airline’s innovative Deliverfly service enables customers to choose their meals on line before flying via iberia.com

The Deliverfly service meshes with the company’s sustainability plan by reducing food waste and take-off weight

Iberia is reinstating its In-Flight Shopping service and expanding it to include drinks and sweet and savoury snacks served on board, by means of a digital menu

Customers can pay through their mobile devices without physical contact thanks to software developed by DO & CO’s technological partner Immfly

 

In Business Class, fresh seasonal ingredients for the Mediterranean diet

Business Class passengers can continue to enjoy the rich Mediterranean diet and the flavours of high Spanish cuisine, centred on prime fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Depending on the time of day, passengers can be served breakfasts, snacks, lunches, or dinners carefully prepared and served with all-new dishware and table linen.

Fresh Galician octopus, exquisite potato salad, vegetable paella, and Spanish “cocido” pork stew are amongst the items with which the airline is tempting its customers’ palates.

In the Dali Premium Lounge at Madrid airport Business passengers can sample an extensive offering of hot and cold starters and desserts, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Breakfasts include sausages and scrambled eggs, as well as tasty Spanish ratatouille. The range of salads now includes zucchini noodles with pesto and feta cheese, plus Jeréz lentils with garlic and cured mountain ham. Tapas range from wedges of the traditional Spanish potato omelet to croquettes made with boletus mushrooms, Madrid pork stew, chorizo cooked in cider, or fried potatoes with spicy “brava” sauce. For main dishes, try the chicken in mushroom sauce with roast baby potatoes, the spinach lasagna, or the wok of green vegetables with rice. Desserts include one of DO & CO’s star attractions –chocolate mousse– along with several delicious alternatives.

Iberia to start Dallas, Washington DC, and San Francisco flights from the start of June

On the first day of June, the Spanish airline Iberia will make its debut flying to Washington DC and to Dallas Fort Worth, Texas from Madrid, while resuming its Madrid-San Francisco service, indicating the airline’s renewed focus on a market strong in both business and leisure travel.

The new destinations bring Iberia’s US total to nine, including Puerto Rico, and it also plans to increase frequencies to New York, Boston, and Los Angeles.

Madrid-Washington DC --Connecting Capital Cities

Iberia will operate four direct flights from Madrid to Washington DC, where European tourists can get close-up views of the White House and the Capitol and visit major monuments and museums.

The flights operate on Mondays. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are scheduled from 1 June until 29 October and will use Airbus A330-family aircraft. They will depart from Madrid at 12:10 pm hours, facilitating connections from other points in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.

Flight no.	From	To	Departs	Arrives*
IB6131	Madrid	Washington	12:10	15:15
IB6132	Washington	Madrid	16:45	06:30

*Times may be altered slightly from month to month.

Madrid-Dallas Fort Worth, a New Route for Iberia

Iberia Introduces its "Talento a bordo" (Talent Aboard) Sports Team

"Talento a bordo" 

At its Madrid HQ Iberia has presented its “Talent Aboard Team”, comprising six male and six female athletes who are now in training with their sights set on the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Paris in 2024. 

Some of them emerging talents, and others already champions, they are Spain’s leaders in some of the lesser known sporting events such as Taekwondo, Sports Climbing, and Open Water Swimming.

Iberia has pledged to support them in their efforts to reach Paris in two years’ time.

This support comes within the frameworks of the airline’s long-running Talento a bordo (“Talent Aboard”) programme, aimed at promoting and publicising Spanish culture abroad, and encompassing sports as well as art, fashion, cinema, design, and music. To date Iberia has backed more than 100 projects under the scheme, and the latest is to support these Spanish Olympic and Paralympic aspirants.

Iberia Team Members :-

Last Year Saw 60% Recovery of Iberia Airport Services’ Passenger Handling Volume, with 47 Million

• 
  Iberia’s airport handling unit, which serves Vueling in Barcelona, was a major contributor to Vueling’s showing as Europe most punctual airline in 2021, and to El Prat’s ranking amongst Europe’s top five airports in flight punctuality.

• Iberia Airport Services put its entire staff back on duty last year, and next month will offer permanent contracts to 800 temporary employees.

• Iberia’s handling unit operates at 29 Spanish airports, where last year it assisted more than 200,000 aircraft and handled nearly 33 million pieces of luggage. 

• The unit last year towed more than 5,000 aircraft with its new electric ground vehicles, which are replacing fossil fuel-powered equipment.

 

Iberia Airport Services, the Spanish airline’s handling unit which serves more than 150 airline clients in 20 Spanish airports, last year assisted 46.8 million passengers, which represented a 59.6% increase on the number served in 2020.

The unit is credited for making a major contribution to Vueling’s showing as Europe's most punctual airline last year, according to industry monitor Cirium. Vueling’s Barcelona hub ranked fifth in Europe for the largest percentage of on-time flights.

Iberia Airport Services serves another 30 airline clients at Barcelona’s El Prat airport, where its handling market share is 70%.  Despite the additional health document requirements and procedures, the unit achieved a 99.78% on-time result for its services to Vueling.

During the pandemic, the unit installed the comprehensive Kepler digital management system, which adds efficiency and speeds real-time decision making during the handling process, as this video shows. 

Iberia’s Airports Manager José Luis de Luna said, “The restriction put in place by every country made 2021 a complicated year, as the figures show. And while they remained lower than those of 2019, they represented a strong recovery from 2020. We’re delighted to have contributed to the impressive on-time rating of both Vueling and of the Barcelona airport, and also that more than 90% of the airlines that began to operate in Spain in 2020 chose Iberia Airport Services as their handling provider. We signed ten new airline clients in the year, and resumed commercial relations with another nine.” 

 

800 New Permanent Employees

Iberia Airport Services ended 2912 with its entire staff back on duty, and in December it hired 1,000 additional staff to meet demand at 19 airports during the holiday season and to compensate for the absences of many employees due to the Omicron variant.

In keeping with an agreement with unions reached prior to the outbreak of Covid-19, before 15 March the unit will change 800 temporary contracts into permanent ones.

 

200,000 Aircraft, 33 million Pieces of Luggage, and Nearly 330,000 Tonnes of Freight

Iberia Airport Services assists passengers at every stage of the airport experience: check-in, boarding, arrival, transits, dealing with incidents, looking after unaccompanied minors, etc.

On the airport ramp, it loads and unloads luggage; tows aircraft; places and operates power equipment, stairways, platforms, and conveyor belts; and prepares aircraft for each flight.

In 2021, Iberia Airport Service assisted 199,038 aircraft –43.8% more than the previous year-- and handled 32.9 million pieces of luggage –81.4% more.

Iberia Airport Services also handled more than 328,600 tonnes of freight –up 32% from 2020.

 

Objective: Reduce Carbon Footprint

To reduce its carbon footprint Iberia Airport Services last year acquired eight new, remote-controlled, electric pushback tractors, which have already been used to tow 5,000 aircraft in the airports of Madrid and Barcelona.

 

Meanwhile, it has been conducting tests of other innovative electric vehicles and ground equipment at the airport of Madrid, Barcelona, and Malaga with a view to reducing emissions and noise, and increasing safety and efficiency.

 

New Airport Handling Licences

Handling licences awarded by Spanish airports, which represent an annual business volume of about one billion euros, come up for renewal every seven years, and 2022 will see bids presented to the AENA airport authority by Iberia Airport Services and its competitors. This year Iberia's handing unit is offering many new innovative and sustainable services which make it more efficient and able to offer services tailored to clients’ needs.

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eDreams ODIGEO sign strategic partnership agreement with British Airways and Iberia

 

eDreams ODIGEO, Europe's largest online travel company, the second largest in terms of flights globally and one of the largest European e-commerce businesses, today announced that they have signed a New Distribution Capability (NDC) agreement with British Airways and Iberia, part of IAG, one of the world's leading airlines groups.   

The strategic agreement involves all four of eDreams ODIGEO's leading travel agency brands (eDreams, Opodo, Travellink and GO Voyages) and IAG's airlines British Airways and Iberia. This will allow travellers, globally, to enjoy a modern air retailing experience for travel to 268 destinations. 

The distribution agreement between eDreams ODIGEO and British Airways and Iberia will give travellers access to a more diverse offering when booking flights in the future. Through the NDC tech, travellers all over the world will benefit from increased flexibility, more competitive fares, and new methods of travel personalisation. The NDC agreement will streamline options for customers based on user preferences and deliver an improved customer experience.

Pablo Caspers, Chief Air Supply Officer at eDreams ODIGEO: "As one of the world's largest online travel companies, we are committed to continuously enhance our product offering to ensure the highest levels of customer satisfaction. We are delighted to be strengthening our partnership with one of the world's leading airline groups. As a result, our customers will now benefit from an even better booking and travel experience, together with more competitive flight options. We look forward to continuing to drive forward tech innovation for our joint customers."

British Airways and its Atlantic Joint Business partners set transatlantic dominance

The UK's British Airways, along with its IAG stablemates and American Airlines have strengthened its strategic Atlantic Joint Business partnership to exert dominance in the transatlantic market and arrange cooperative pricing. The mass group of airlines are also introducing a selection of new routes to choose from for Summer 2022.  New gateways include London to Portland, Barcelona to Los Angeles and Helsinki to Dallas.

The Atlantic Joint Business is a joint venture that started in 2010, between American Airlines, British Airways and Iberia, with Finnair joining in 2013, LEVEL in 2017 and Aer Lingus in 2021.  By bringing their network of flights together, the partnership offers customers in the North Atlantic the most competitive choice, with Aer Lingus, British Airways, Finnair, Iberia and LEVEL operating in Europe and American Airlines in the USA.

Customers can mix and match flights operated by any of the six carriers to get the best deals and enjoy smoother connections through coordinated schedules.  The new routes are:

Aer Lingus

Two new North American routes have launched from its new base in Manchester:

Manchester to JFK New York, launched 1 December operating year-round

Operating 7 times a week

Fares start from £438 economy return including taxes and charges

Aircraft type A321Neo

 

Manchester to Orlando, launched 11 December operating year-round

Operating 4 flights a week – Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday; increasing to    daily flights from 2 May 2022

Fares start from £558 economy return including taxes and charges

Aircraft type A330-300

 

Iberia Will Fly to Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington DC in the spring

Following the recent decision by the United States government to reopen its borders to tourists from the European Union in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, the Spanish airline, Iberia has made changes to its forthcoming spring and summer 2022 schedule.

As in all markets where Covid-10 restrictions are being lifted, Iberia is resuming its flights and even adding destinations, such as Dallas, San Francisco, and Washington DC, scheduled for the summer season that begins in April and will be available for booking in the near future.

Dallas, an All-new Destination for Iberia

Starting in April, Iberia will operate four weekly return flights from Madrid to this north Texas city, which is the hub of American Airlines, with which Iberia has a Joint Business Agreement (JBA), facilitating one-ticket connections to a large number of US cities. British Airways and Finnair are also partners in the JBA, which covers routes between Europe and the North Atlantic.

Direct to Washington DC

Iberia’s plans to fly from Madrid to the US capital were interrupted by the outbreak of the pandemic, but now they are back on track for four weekly return flights starting in April. The city boasts not only the seats of the three branches of government –the White House, the Capitol building hosting the two houses of congress, and the Supreme Court– but also major museums like the Smithsonian Institution, the world’s largest.

Return to San Francisco 

Summer flights to the West Coast city will be resumed in 2022, with three return flights per week from Madrid starting in April. 

Major Presence in the United States

These destinations will bring to a total of nine the number of cities served directly by Iberia in the United States, the Spanish airline’s most important market

In the current winter season that began on 31 October, Iberia has scheduled 70 flights per week between Spain and the US, reaching the same cities it served before the pandemic began.

Specifically, the airline is operating 10 weekly return flights to both New York and Miami, five flights a week to Chicago, and three weekly flights to Boston and Los Angeles. It is also flying four times a week to San Juan in Puerto Rico, a destination included in the North Atlantic JBA with American Airlines, British Airways y Finnair.

The JBA linking Iberia, American Airlines, British Airways, and Finnair

The four airlines have joined forces to offer their customers a global network of routes linking more than 400 cities in 100 countries of Europe and North America, which will now be enriched with access to Spanish destinations by travellers from the additional US cities served by Iberia.

Customers of the four airlines will enjoy numerous advantages under the terms of the JBA, in addition to a much wider range of destinations, flying times and better connections.

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