Remotely Controlled Electric Ground Vehicles for Moving Iberia Aircraft at Madrid and Barcelona Airports

New silent tractors will each cut CO2 emissions by up to 23 tonnes while improving ramp safety and flight punctuality.

 

The first eight “green pushback” vehicles will enter service later this month in the Madrid and Barcelona airports.

 

Iberia Maintenance will also use the smoke-free vehicles in its hangars.

 

In the midst of the Covid-19 pandemic, Iberia and its handling and maintenance units continue to invest in innovation and sustainability, and once again they are pioneering users of the latest technology.

Iberia Airport Services handling unit has deployed new “green” pushback” tractors to move aircraft in the Madrid and Barcelona airports. The emissions-free electric vehicles are operated by remote control.

In late October, Iberia Airport Services will have eight of the new vehicles in Madrid and Barcelona, which are nearly silent, and each one will effectively cut annual CO2 emissions by some 23 tonnes. They operate more precisely than their predecessors, for greater safety on airport ramps and greater punctuality of flights by all client airlines at the two airports.

Iberia saying goodbye to the Airbus A340

Photo Iberia

At an airline like Iberia, with more than 90 years of history, saying goodbye to a model of aircraft is always a bittersweet experience. Bitter because we’ve been through a lot together and we always look back nostalgically on the good times we’ve had together, but sweet because it means a more modern fleet will take over to offer passengers a better flying experience, as is happening with the Airbus A350s that Iberia is bringing into service, a new generation that’s much more efficient, sustainable, and technologically advanced.

It was just over two weeks ago that an Iberia Airbus A340 made its last scheduled flight, when on 1 August the A340-600 christened Santiago Ramón y Cajal flew under captain Víctor Alegre from Quito to Madrid with nearly 300 passengers on board. It was a turning point we’d like to mark by looking back at some of the highlights of the A340’s history with us.

In August Iberia Group is Operating Scheduled Flights to 55 Cities in Spain and Europe

Prague and Berlin are added to the destinations served by direct flights

Flights are timed for easy connections at Madrid Airport’s T4

The company is offering a limited number of long-haul scheduled flights, repatriation flights, and cargo flights 

This August , Iberia Group is offering regular scheduled flights to a total of 55 destinations in Spain and the rest of Europe, including new direct services to Prague and Berlin.

As in July, long-haul flights are being operated to countries open to air traffic, including Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador or the United States, among others. Iberia is also operating special repatriation and cargo flights to countries still closed to schedules traffic. All flights are subject to each country’s restrictions.

Iberia’s flights are all now timed to facilitate connections at the airline’s hub in T4 of Madrid Airport.

These flights represent only 27% of Iberia’s planned pre-Covid-19 flight schedule, up by nine percentage points from July, thanks to the new destinations and added frequencies to the Canary and Balearic Islands, Barcelona, and other tourist destinations.

In addition to these flights originating in Madrid, the Iberia Group is also operating point-to-point Iberia flights such as Munich-Minorca, San Sebastian-Palma, and San Sebastian-Malaga, while Iberia Express is flying from Asturias to Gran Canaria and Tenerife, and from Vigo to Tenerife. Iberia’s franchise partner Iberia Regional Air Nostrum is flying from Nice to Malaga, as well as flights from different mainland destinations to the Canary and Balearic Islands.

Iberia's new innovative and sustainable aircraft cleaning solutions

• Iberia's long-term service provider Multiservicios Aeroportuarios is using more efficient electrostatic pistol sin the short- and medium-haul fleet. 
• Spanish start-up AirlineLoop has designed more flexible and sustainable equipment for sanitising aircraft cabins.
• Reusable and ecological cleaning cloths and mops made of recyclable bamboo fibre which blocks the proliferation of bacteria and microorganisms.  

In the sanitising of its short- and medium-haul fleet between 13:00h and 17:00h every day in Madrid, Iberia’s service provider Multiservicios Aeroportuarios (MASA) has deployed new electrostatic pistols that shoot a fine powder that kills the Covid-19 virus on contact, making the sanitising both faster and more uniform, while reaching the most inaccessible parts of armrests, headrests, folding trays, seat folds, hand luggage compartments, toilets, etc. between flights.

In August Iberia will be flying to 55 cities in Spain and Europe

Prague and Berlin are added to the destinations served by direct flights

Flights are timed for easy connections at Madrid Airport’s T4

Iberia is offering a limited number of long-haul scheduled flights, repatriation flights, and cargo flights 

The Iberia Group are offering regular scheduled flights to a total of 55 destinations in Spain and the rest of Europe, including new direct services to Prague and Berlin this month.

You can book Iberia flights here.

As in July, long-haul flights are being operated to countries open to air traffic, including Uruguay, Costa Rica, Ecuador or the United States, among others. Iberia is also operating special repatriation and cargo flights to countries still closed to schedules traffic. All flights are subject to each country’s restrictions. 

Iberia reflects on new in flight safety precautions

Commercial aviation has certainly changed significantly as a result of the pandemic that has seized the world since this past spring, and Iberia has been changing with it; not only are we carrying passengers, but we’ve also undertaken a number of initiatives such as the opening of a special route with China for the transfer of medical supplies; the donation of thousands of items to hospitals; and the conduct of some 30 repatriation flights to get more than 8,000 people back home.

In addition, we’ve restarted our summer route schedule with a robust series of prevention and hygiene measures designed by Spanish and European aviation authorities to safeguard your health and wellbeing when you fly with us, whilst providing as pleasant a flying experience as possible, in addition to those already in place since the beginning of the pandemic.  These measure apply to every aspect of your trip, from even before you arrive at your depature airport to arrival at your destination.

Welcome Back to Spain! Iberia explains the ‘New Normal’

Across the world, throughout the spring of 2020, we’ve all been living through a global public-health emergency unprecedented in our lifetimes. But now, after the extraordinary measures due to the coronavirus and COVID-19 which closed borders and shut down tourism in most countries of the world, Spain is among those which have flattened the pandemic curve enough to return to “normal” as of 1 July, welcoming back foreign visitors – from most other countries within Europe plus 15 more from beyond the continent – with open arms.

But of course, this is a “new normal,” including a number of measures and rules put in place to maximise protections for holidaymakers and tourism-industry workers alike, as well as suppress any potential second wave of the virus (these provisions were tested by a trial project in June which allowed 11,000 Germans to visit the Balearic Islands). Some of these rules apply across Spain, whilst others differ depending on region, and not observing them can carry fines, such as 100 euros for not wearing a face mask in areas where they’re required. So here’s some of what you can expect this summer when you visit the cities, towns, beaches, and natural areas of this remarkable country:

Canary Islands, Balearic Islands, Dubrovnik and Athens, are the favorite destinations of Spanish healthcare workers............Iberia free ticket draw finds.

The Spanish airline Iberia has found that the most popular destinations for Spanish healthcare works that won tickets in the company's draw are Madrid, Valencia, Barcelona, ​​Bilbao, Malaga, Alicante and Santiago de Compostela, domestically. The most popular European destinations Athens, Dubrovnik and Paris.

The airline, along with partners Iberia Express, Air Nostrum, Vueling and Aena (which is responsible for airport fees) have already given away 50,000 tickets to Spanish healthcare professionals as part of a nationwide show of appreciation for their efforts during the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis.  

In this first week, more than 12,500 healthcare workers have already booked their tickets, opting mainly for destinations including, Tenerife, Lanzarote, Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura and La Palma, in order of preference. Plus the Balearic Islands in this order Menorca, Mallorca and Ibiza.  

As for the dates of reservations, many of the winners of the free tickets have chosen the second fortnight of July, the whole month of August and also the first fortnight of September have proved popular.

To continue the programme, the Iberia Group and Vueling have given away another 50,000 tickets so that these professionals can have a well-deserved rest after having provided their services on the front-line against COVID19.   

In other news,  the airlines CEO  warns Iberia must downsize to survive. 

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A new Munich - Menorca link from Ibera

The Spanish airline Iberia has started the first direct flight between Germany and Menorca this weekend since the coronavirus first struck.  The airline is expected to establish a weekly flight that will operate every Saturday until the end of August, with a possible extension to the end of September.

This initiative has been possible thanks to a co-marketing agreement signed by the Fomento de Menorca Foundation, the Balearic Islands Tourism Strategy Agency (AETIB)  and Iberia, with the objective of stimulating demand in the German market tourist market.

This agreement includes various actions such as tactical campaigns with tour operators and travel agencies in Germany, promotions on the Iberia website and posts on social networks, among others.

"More than ever tourism promotion needs public collaboration and this year we will bet heavily on Menorca, with direct flights from Munich and a promotional campaign taking advantage of our experience in the German market, where we operate in six destinations," said Celia Muñoz, Iberia Sales Director for Europe, USA and Asia.

Iberia's direct flights between Munich and Menorca are in addition to those on offer via Iberia Express, which operates a daily Madrid-Menorca -Madrid service at the moment, with an increase to double daily during July.

 https://uk.jooble.org

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Iberia has no option - it must downsize.

A stalwart of Iberia's long-haul fleet the Airbus A340 will be withdrawn                                                   Photo Ibera

The global Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting crash in demand has left many airlines the world over struggling to cope and forcing them to reassess their futures.  Iberia is no exception, the Spanish airline, part of the massive International Consolidated Airlines Group IAG, will have no other option but to downsize, if it wants to survive in the future. 

Luis Gallego Martin, the airlines CEO told local media that he plans to extend the ERTE - the temporary layoff or furlough of staff, until the end of the year. The carrier has been losing north of €7 million each day of lockdown  He also confirmed the largest airline in Spain, will have to cut the number of destinations it serves and how frequently it flies to others as it looks to dramatically cut costs to emerge a leaner more profitable operation.

Iberia will, Gallego confirmed, be withdrawing its 17 four-engined long-haul Airbus A340-600 aircraft from its fleet in the near future.  

"In Iberia, we will be smaller, but we will exist, something that it is not clear other airlines will be able to say," he said in an interview with  El Pais, published today. "Smaller, unfortunately, with the capacity adapted to the demand. We will have fewer planes, fewer flights and fewer destinations."

Gallego also has a grim prediction for the future,  demand he says will not go back to pre-COVID levels until 2023 or 2024. How much smaller a downsized Iberia will be by then is remains to be seen, yet I'd be surprised if it didn't emerge around 35% smaller, leaner and far more nimble. 

As Spain opens up for tourists, Iberia, Iberia Express, and Vueling are following EASA Guidelines on Covid-19

Iberia, Iberia Express, and Vueling have pledged to follow all the recommendations made by the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to stop the spread of Covid-19.  AENA, the Spanish air traffic control and airports agency, has also adopted the EASA guidelines.

On 20 May, EASA and the European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) issued the Aviation Industry Charter for Covid-19 in order to facilitate the recovery of European air traffic under the safest possible conditions.

Since the outbreak of the Covid-19 crisis, the three Spanish airlines, all members of the IAG group, have applied all the disease prevention measures recommended by authorities, from the publication of information to disinfection and sanitising, the supply of protective gear, and changes in protocols and procedures, etc. These latest recommendations are designed to permit the resumption of air travel in Europe with minimum infection risk.

The airlines are also advising their customers to download boarding passes to their cell phones, to check hand luggage instead of taking it into the cabin, to remember to use surgical type face masks, and to avoid travel if there is the slightest chance they are infected.

Safety easures are given in full detail on the websites of the three Spanish IAG airlines: Iberia, Iberia Express and Vueling.  

The EASA recommended guidelines can be viewed here

The carrier will soon be celebrating its birthday,  on 28th June the airline will be 93 years old and whilst the celebrations will be rather subdued because of the current situation,  everyone at Air101 wish everyone at Iberia a very happy birthday!.

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Iberia to Resume Short- and Medium-haul Services Starting 1st July

Starting on 1st July, Iberia will gradually resume its short- and medium-haul flight programme, with change flexibility for all customers.

The airline is also prepared to resume long-haul flights as soon as conditions allow and quarantine and travel restrictions are lifted in the countries served by Iberia.

In June, Iberia is maintaining a minimum level of air connectivity similar to that of May connecting Madrid with the Spanish Islands (Canary Islands and the Balearic), Barcelona, Bilbao, Asturias, Vigo, La Coruña, London and Paris.

In July and August Iberia, Iberia Express, and Iberia Regional will fly to at least 40 and 53 destinations, respectively, with a total of at least 194 return flights per week scheduled in July, and 359 in August.

This amounts to just 21% of normal seat supply on the short- and medium-haul network, which may rise to 35% as demand increases.

In mainland Spain, services will be resumed to Alicante, Almeria, Asturias, Barcelona, Bilbao, Granada, Jerez, La Coruña, Malaga, Pamplona, San Sebastian, Santander, Santiago, Seville, Valencia, and Vigo. The Iberia Group will also fly to Tenerife Norte, Tenerife Sur, Gran Canaria, Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, and La Palma in the Canary Islands, and to Majorca, Menorca, and Ibiza in the Balearics.

Back to work for Iberia's Maintenance Team

Photo  Iberia

Even when the vast majority of an airlines aircraft are grounded,  a small tea of dedicated workers are needed to check and care for those silent and still mechanical birds and ensure they are ready to soar into the skies in the near future.

Since the current coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic began,  the maintenance team at Iberia Maintenance have been working, retaining a certain level of productivity, whilst protecting the health of their employees, customers and suppliers and all the time adapting to the situation and to what is widely being considered the 'new normal' as well as getting ready to face the challenges yet to arise.

Following the clear guidance of Health and Safety, Iberia Maintenance has developed a complete Health and Hygiene Plan for employees, with which it has established an advanced level of protection against COVID-19 in its facilities. This plan includes the tests on all employees as they return to work, disinfection of facilities, new cleaning protocols, use of PPE, hygienic, technical and other measures such as working from home for some employees.

Spanish airline Iberia to offer Covid-19 antibody tests to all employees

Photo Iberia

Part of the company-wide health plan undertaken in cooperation with Quirónsalud and employee representatives.
All workers returning from furlough will be tested –some 2,500 in May alone.
They will be tested again 15 and 30 days after the first test.
PCR tests to detect active Covid-19 cases will be given to employees returning after sick leave, and to others who may have been exposed to active cases.
 

Iberia is to implement a special Covid-19 health plan, designed in collaboration with the Quirónsalud health care firm and employee representatives. The aim is to give all employees the most robust possible protection against the virus. 

The plan calls for blood test to detect Covid-19 antibodies in employees returning to on-site work following furloughs, as well as disinfection of all workplaces, the use of PPE and other hygiene measures, teleworking wherever possible, etc.

In May alone, antibody tests performed on some 2,500 Iberia employees working in the airport and in aircraft maintenance, as well as cockpit and cabin crews. In the course of the year, the entire staff of nearly 17,000 people can be tested. 

New Iberia repatriation flights to Bangkok, Sydney, Manila, Cape Verde, Asunción, and Santa Cruz de la Sierra

Photo Iberia

• Another 2000 people will return home in this second wave of Iberia repatriation flights, following the 6,000 of the first wave. 
• By the end of April, the Spanish airline will have made more than 30 special flights to 20 countries: Argentina, Algeria, Australia, Bolivia, Cape Verde, the Dominican Republic, Colombia, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland,  Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay. 
• Iberia is also cooperating in the fight against COVID-19 by transporting medical supplies 
• Iberia has also made donations to Spanish hospitals including duvets, pillows, toilet kits, disposable gowns, and disposable tableware for COVID-19 patients. 

Iberia is helping another 2,000 people reach their homes in a second wave of repatriation flights this month in collaboration with Spain’s Foreign Ministry and its embassies and consulates abroad as well as the diplomatic missions in Spain of the countries of destination. In March the airline carried some 6,000 passengers on special flights, in addition to the 70,000 carried on scheduled services before the pandemic alert was declared.

Over the next two weeks the airline will fly to destinations which are new to Iberia, such as Sydney, Manila, Bangkok, Praia (Cape Verde), and Santa Cruz de la Sierra (Bolivia), chiefly to repatriate Spanish citizens from these countries. 

It will also make another three repatriation flights to Peru, one to Equatorial Guinea, another to Colombia, and another three to Argentina, one with a stop neighbouring Paraguay. 

“Our commitment in the fight against COVID-19 is limitless. In this new wave of repatriation flights we will fly to such places as Manila, Bangkok, Sydney, and Cape Verde, where our Foreign Ministry regards it as necessary to bring Spaniards home,” said the airline’s Sales Manager for Spain, Guillermo González Vallina. 

More than 8,000 homecomings

In all, by the end of April Iberia will have made more than 30 repatriation flights to return some 8,000 people, some 6,000 in the last week of March and the first week of April and another 2,000 are to fly by the end of April. Outgoing flights will carry foreigners in Spain back to their home countries.

From the start of the crisis until the end of April Iberia will have made a total of more than 30 special flights to 20 countries on five continents: Algeria, Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Cape Verde, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Equatorial Guinea, Ireland, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, the Philippines, Poland, Senegal, Thailand, and Uruguay. 

In addition, since the pandemic alert was declared in Spain, Iberia flew more than 70,000 people on scheduled flights to countries including the US, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Chile which the airline operated until the end of March. 

Photo Iberia

 Medical air shuttle between Spain and China

Iberia is also bringing medical supplies to Spain from China with frequent cargo flights:

• In collaboration with the FENIN federation of Spanish medical technology companies and the high-technology Oesía Group, Iberia has made nine flights to Shanghai.
• In collaboration with other public and private organisations, by the end of April Iberia will have made another 20 flights to pick up medical supplies in Shanghai and other Chinese cities such as Shenzhen.

In addition, the airline was instrumental in bringing 34 respirators to Spain from Brussels and Munich which were donated by small businesses to a number of Spanish hospitals. 

Photo Iberia

Donation to hospitals 

Iberia also donated material normally used aboard its flights, in collaboration with its own relief NGO Mano a Mano, ENVERA, health agencies of the Madrid Regional government, and the logistics company ALAER. The donations included:

• 45,000 set of disposable tableware for use by COVID-19 patients at Madrid’s Ramón y Cajal hospital
• 9,000 duvets and 2,200 pillows for the field hospital set up by Madrid health authorities at the IFEMA fairgrounds, as well as 1,400 complete toilet kits and another 20,000 units of toilet items such as toothbrushes and toothpaste, combs, and socks. 
• For the Hospital de La Paz, 300 duvets, 300 pillows, and 400 toilet kits.  
• For the Gregorio Marañón hospital, more than 5,000 disposable gowns from Iberia’s own medical service, and 1,400 barrier gowns supplied by the NGO Mano a Mano. 
• For the field hospital at the FIRA fairgrounds in Barcelona, 500 toilet kits and 500 duvets, and the loan of airport ground equipment to help set up the hospital and deliver supplies of food, medicine, and bed linen.

Photo Iberia

Iberia employees have been unstinting in their commitment to the timely completion of all these operations.

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Iberia performs 23 special repatriation flights and moves more than 100 tonnes of medical supplies

Photo Iberia

• In recent days Iberia has operated special repatriation flights to Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco, Japan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Dominican Republic, Senegal, and Uruguay.

• The airline has also made seven flights to Shanghai to pick up medical supplies arrange in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

• From its own stocks, Iberia has donated 9,000 duvets, 2,200 pillows with cases, 5,500 hospital gowns and 20,000 toilet kits including toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, socks, etc.

• It has also loaned airport handling equipment to the Barcelona convention centre to assist in the setting up of a new hospital and has donated 500 duvets and 540 toilet kits.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Iberia has operated a total of 23 repatriation flights to/from Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Poland, Dominican Republic, Senegal, and Uruguay, with the support of Spain’s Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic missions to Spain of the respective countries. These flights have enabled more than 6,000 people to reach their homes. You can watch a video on ones those flights here. 

In addition, since the state of emergency was declared in Spain in mid-March, more than 70,000 people have travelled in scheduled Iberia flights to countries around the world, including the US, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Chile.

British Airways owner IAG looking to ground 3/4 of its fleet

IAG’s actions to address COVID-19’s financial impact

Like all airline groups around the world, the rapid spread of coronavirus COVID-19 and the resulting border closures and the downturn in bookings has hit IAG hard.

To date IAG has suspended flights to China, reduced capacity on Asian routes, cancelled all flights to, from and within Italy and made various changes to its vast network.

The US Presidential announcement to restrict entry of foreign nationals who have been in countries in the Schengen Area, the UK and Ireland has added to the uncertainty on North Atlantic routes. In addition, many other countries have banned or are restricting inward travel including Argentina, Chile, India and Peru. Spain has also been the subject of travel advisories, for example by the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO).

IAG is implementing further initiatives in response to this challenging market environment. Capacity, in terms of available seat kilometres, in the first quarter of 2020 is now expected to be reduced by around 7.5 per cent compared to last year. For April and May, the Group plans to reduce capacity by at least 75 per cent compared to the same period in 2019.

Lufthansa Group among a number of airlines cancelling all flights to Israel due to new entry regulations

All flights to Tel Aviv and Eilat will be cancelled as of next Sunday for the next three weeks
Lufthansa cancels over 7,100 European flights in March 

The extended refusal of entry of the Israeli authorities, introduced from 6 March to among others also for travellers from Germany, Switzerland and Austria, will lead to a considerable drop in demand for flights to Israel. As a result, Lufthansa, SWISS and Austrian Airlines will cancel all their flights to Tel Aviv and Eilat as of Sunday 8 March 2020 for the remaining winter timetable period until 28 March. The Lufthansa Group sees itself forced to make this cancellation for economic and operational reasons, as many passengers are no longer entitled to enter the country.

All airlines mentioned above usually offer a total of ten daily flights to Tel Aviv, in addition, Lufthansa has one scheduled weekly service to Eilat.

The Lufthansa Group is not alone in cancelling or planning to axe flights to Israel due to the new regulations introduced, which are said to be the strictest in the world. Israel has already imposed the same restrictions to flights from Italy, China and Singapore. The IAG's Spanish airline, Iberia, usually operates seven flights a week to Israel has confirmed it will axe flights to Tel Aviv until at least the end of the March - “Due to Israeli Interior Ministry directives banning citizens from a number of countries, including Spain, we are forced to temporarily suspend flights to Tel Aviv,” the carrier said in a statement. Alitalia has stopped all flights between 11th and 29th March. Low-cost airline Wizz is currently reducing flights to Tel Aviv because of a lack of demand, whilst British Airways is understood to be currently reviewing its Israeli schedule as the ban on non-residents entering the country is expected to be expanded to the UK early next week. 

The heavy restrictions will have a massive negative impact on the nations tourist industry, which is already facing difficulty. Local analysts indicate that a raft of bankruptcies in the incoming tourist industry is to be expected before the end of April. Many commentators have also indicated that the introduction of travel restrictions has more political reasoning that public safety.

Lufthansa: 7,100 European flights cancelled in March

NCD Channel Sales Now Represent 20% of Iberia’s Sales in the Spanish Market

Iberia is making great strides in implementing IATA’s new standardised NDC data transmission system for its sales, and 20% of those in the Spanish market are already made via this channel, meeting IATA’s recommended target for the end of the year.

A total of some 3,600 travel agencies are now using the Iberia NDC channel, first introduced in 2017.

Lleego Travel Market and Grupo Iris are preferred partners and 100% NDC-certified

New handling record for Iberia Airport Services

Iberia Airport Services is celebrating! In 2019 it handled over 100 million passengers, a new record for Spain’s leading handling provider with operations at 29 national airports.

The company services more than 170 airlines and in 2019 it handled more than 360,000 planes, setting a new record of more than 100 million passengers, nearly 5 per cent more than in 2018.

Go Up! - Iberia’s ambitious airport business project