IAG Cargo launches new service between Barcelona and Miami

IAG Cargo announces a new service between Barcelona and Miami with flights operating up to three times a week from 31st March

Miami is IAG Cargo’s fifth connection between Barcelona and the U.S. 

IAG Cargo also restarts services between Barcelona and San Francisco from 31st March

 

IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has announced a new service between Barcelona and Miami. The route will run three times a week to Miami International Airport from 31st March 2024, increasing to four services from June to September. 

Barcelona is one of IAG Cargo’s four hubs, alongside London Heathrow, Madrid, and Dublin, and is home to two of the IAG Group’s airlines, LEVEL and Vueling. Miami will mark IAG Cargo’s fifth direct connection to the United States from Barcelona, which already encompasses Boston, Los Angeles, New York’s JFK and San Francisco. This new route adds to almost 200 weekly connections between Spain and the United States. Barcelona is well positioned to connect the United States and the rest of Europe, with an extensive trucking network into nearby countries. 

Miami is the world’s largest gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean and offers two-way cargo traffic, linking the Americas with Europe. It is renowned as a hub for the distribution of perishable products, hi-tech commodities, telecommunications equipment, textiles, pharmaceuticals and industrial machinery. The introduction of this service is being made possible by adding a sixth aircraft to LEVEL’s fleet. 

Camilo Garcia Cervera, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at IAG Cargo said: “The transatlantic corridor is an important part of our network and supports so many of our customers. Miami is a thriving logistics hub, strategic for air freight. With our already well-established network connecting major cities in the United States with Europe, this new route will enhance our connectivity even more.” 

IAG Cargo also restarts services between Barcelona and San Francisco from 31st March, with four weekly frequencies. In 2023 IAG Cargo had a commercial revenue of €1,156 million. It has a combined workforce of more than 2,250 people. Its parent company, International Airlines Group, is one of the world's largest airline groups with 582 aircraft at 31st December 2023.

 

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LEVEL will restart of flights between Barcelona and Chile from 31st October - flying up to 4 times a week from 31st October

 

Services between Barcelona and Chile return for Level and IAG Cargo  Photo Level/IAG

                                      IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), has announced the restart of services between Barcelona and Chile for the first time since pre-pandemic. The route will run 4 times a week to Santiago de Chile International Airport from 31st October 2022. The service will utilise a LEVEL Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

IAG Cargo and LEVEL announce the restart of flights between Barcelona and Chile with flights operating up to 4 times a week from 31st October

The service will be operated by a LEVEL Airbus A330-200 aircraft

Barcelona is one of IAG Cargo’s four hubs, alongside London Heathrow, Madrid, and Dublin, and is home to two of the IAG Group’s airlines, LEVEL and Vueling. Barcelona is well positioned to connect Latin America and the rest of Europe, with an extensive trucking network into nearby countries.

IAG Cargo is currently operating over 250 weekly services between Europe, UK and Latin American destinations such as Mexico, Brazil and Ecuador. This additional capacity between Spain and Chile will further support the movement of popular commodities, including fruit, vegetables and fish, utilizing IAG Cargo’s Constant Fresh service to ensure the produce arrives on supermarket shelves in peak condition.

Rodrigo Casal, Regional Commercial Manager for Latin America at IAG Cargo said: “Latin America is a major trade route for our customers, particularly for perishables into Europe. We’re delighted to be able to restart our operations between Barcelona and Chile to facilitate the movement of essential foods and support local farming communities.”

Ricard Falomir, Chief Operations & Digital Officer of LEVEL, said: "We are pleased to resume our operations between Barcelona and Santiago de Chile for passengers and cargo, contributing to the extensive cargo network of IAG Cargo, possible thanks to the synergies of the Group. LEVEL is the only airline that directly connects both destinations, a strategic market regarding not only passengers but also cargo. The route is in addition to the service in Buenos Aires, which reaches the daily flight in this winter season".

LEVEL and B3TTER team up to offer healthy snacks on board

 B3TTER Foods healthy bars are now available on board LEVEL aircraft. The airline has partnered with this brand of healthy food and plant-based, born in Barcelona, to offer new healthy gastronomic options to its clientele.

The airline incorporates in its menu snacks of this Barcelona brand of healthy products and plant based.

To celebrate this agreement, both brands have hidden within ten bars ten double flights, to the different destinations that LEVEL operates in the United States.

The partnership with B3TTER Foods demonstrates LEVEL's commitment to offering its customers a wide range of healthy and sustainable products.

The addition of B3TTER healthy bars to the airline menu allows LEVEL to continue adding new healthy and ecological products in its production while supporting emerging brands such as B3TTER. These bars, plant-based with real and 100% natural ingredients, complete the offer of snacks on the LEVEL menu.

With this partnership, LEVEL continues to maximize the personalization of the onboard experience, offering more products, so that each person chooses what best suits their preferences. In addition, through the alliance with B3TTER, the airline not only reinforces its commitment to sustainable production, proximity and healthy eating but also shows support for Barcelona's young and emerging talent and its commitment to local brands.

 

To celebrate this agreement, both brands have launched a curious initiative: they have hidden within ten bars, randomly, ten double flights, to the different destinations in America operated by the airline. The promotion is available in the different establishments that distribute B3TTER in Spain; Eroski, Ametller Orgien, Herbolario Navarro and Good News. This promotion is valid from September 12 until all 10 hidden flights are found.

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

 

IAG Cargo celebrates its 10-year anniversary

IAG Cargo marks its tenth anniversary, following a decade of expansion and innovation

 

The merger between British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo offered customers a ‘one-stop’ shop – creating a truly global network through the carriers in the IAG group spanning five continents

 

With the integration of Vueling, Level and Aer Lingus the business has transported cargo on almost 1 million flights (950,000) to over 450 destinations

 

08 April 2021 – This month, IAG Cargo, the cargo division of International Airlines Group (IAG), celebrates its tenth anniversary – marking a decade of transporting vital shipments safely and efficiently for customers across the world.

 

IAG Cargo was created in 2011 following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo, bringing together two distinct brands focused on providing a quality services for their customers to unlock the full potential of their networks. Since then, IAG Cargo’s mission – to be ‘always moving’ – has led it to become one of the largest cargo operators in the world, serving key sectors of the global economy including ecommerce, tech, manufacturing, automotive, pharmaceutical and aerospace. 

 

In total, in the last decade it is estimated that IAG Cargo has served nearly 14,000 freight forwarders, operated 950,000 flights, transporting millions of tonnes of cargo and flown to over 450 destinations worldwide using 30 models of aircraft.  Today, the business is trusted by some of the world’s best known brands to transport their precious cargo, from ancient artefacts for The British Museum, endangered animals for BornFree, vaccine shipments for Biological E to airplane parts for Boeing.

 

IAG traffic and capacity statistics – December 2019

IAG has released details of the group's performance over last year, traffic and capacity statistics – IAG traffic in December, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, increased by 6.4 per cent versus the same period last year.  Capacity measured in available seat kilometres increased by 2.0 per cent versus the same period the previous.  The biggest increase was seen in the Latin America and Caribbean markets with double-digit growth. 

In December, British Airways reached final agreement on pay talks with its pilots union BALPA and

Iberia announced that it had signed a collective preliminary agreement with its ground handling,

maintenance and administrative staff unions. 

On 17 December, British Airways signed a joint business agreement with China Southern Airlines. This will benefit customers by adding more destinations between the UK and China with a greater choice of flights and enhanced frequent flyer benefits.

IAG profits fall as fuel prices rise and currency exchanges prove difficult.

Photo British Airways

The International Airlines Group has released its April 2019 and year to date figures this week, which demonstrated some good positive results, including a 24% increase in passengers on Latin America and Caribbean routes. 

The group also released its first-quarter results,  showing a fall in profits while fuel prices rose, by over 15% affecting the group's bottom line.  

First quarter operating profit €135 million before exceptional items (2018 €340 million), passenger unit revenue for the quarter down 0.8 % down 1.4. Non-fuel unit costs before exceptional items for the quarter up 0.8 per cent, fuel unit costs for the quarter up 15.8%, up 11.1 % at constant currency

Cash of €7,481 million at March 31, 2019, was up €1,207 million on December 31, 2018 and net debt to EBITDA improved by 0.2 to 1.0 times.  Profit after tax before exceptional items €70 million down 62.6 per cent, and adjusted earnings per share down 57.5 % on a pro forma basis.

Willie Walsh, IAG Chief Executive Officer, said: “In a quarter when European airlines were significantly affected by fuel and foreign exchange headwinds, market capacity impacting yield and the timing of Easter, we remained profitable and are reporting an operating profit of €135 million.

 “At constant currency, non-fuel unit costs were down 0.6 per cent while passenger unit revenue decreased by 1.4%.”

End of the 'Open Skies' era

The 'Open Skies' era has come to an end, at least in terms of the airline called Open Skies set by British Airways in 2008, which operated its last flight last week.

Open Skies was a premium brand flying a premium service between New York and Paris Orly and has been absorbed into the new IAG budget carrier, Level, which used the Open Skies operators certificate to get airborne.   Now the last aircraft featuring the Open Skies livery doing an Open Skies route has flown its last revenue flight for the airline. The Orly operation is now run with two Level-branded Airbus A330-200s.

The last flight from Newark to Paris took place on 2nd September and the Boeing 767 is now in the process to be retired from service and as it bows out, so too does the last remnants of OpenSkies brand, at least in public eyes.

The aircraft, registration: F-HILU was flown to St Athan, a few miles from Cardiff, Wales on 3rd September to end its 28-year working life. 

Photo © Dominique Scarmure 

Level has a new boss

Level, the new low-cost airline from the owners of British Airways, Iberia and Aer Lingus has appointed the former Flybe chief strategy officer Vincent Hodder as its first chief executive officer.

Level said Mr Hodder had extensive experience in the aviation industry and an in-depth understanding of the low-cost business model, they expect him to continue to build Level's positive momentum.

Vincent Hodder has previously been at Viva Aerobus and Jetstar, he also spent three years at Bain & Co where he worked for airline clients in Australia and South Africa. Hodder holds a BA in Commerce and an MBA from Melbourne Business School, University of Melbourne and will take up his new role in September this year.  

IAG's June results

The International Airlines Group, owners of British Airways, Iberia, Lvele and Vueling announced it's latest results last week.  The group traffic in June, measured in revenue passenger kilometres, increased by 9.1 percent versus June 2017; Group capacity measured in available seat kilometres rose by 5.4 percent.

Level up for the inaugural flight to Montreal

International Airlines Group’s (IAG) long-haul low-cost airline brand "Level" starts its inaugural French flight today from Paris heading for Montreal in Canada. There will be more than 300 passengers on board a new Airbus A330-200 aircraft as IAG's answer to 'Norwegian' begins to serve the Canadian city three times a week.

Tomorrow the airline will also start the first of a four times a week service to Guadeloupe, both from its Paris Orly base. 

This year two new Airbus A330-200 aircraft will be based at Orly, each with 293 economy and 21 premium economy seats. A third A330-200 aircraft will be added in 2019 providing the opportunity to expand LEVEL’s network further. These aircraft are equipped with the latest high-speed Wi-Fi with prices starting at €8.99.

Norwegian to increase USA flights from Ireland and Scotland this winter as IAG prepares a take over bid

Norwegian is increasing flights from Edinburgh, Dublin and Shannon airports to the USA during the winter season. The newly added flights are designed to offer more choices for customers heading US-bound and fares start from just €129/£149. 

Europe’s third-largest low-cost airline launched a series of transatlantic routes from Edinburgh, Belfast, Dublin, Cork and Shannon last summer to the US east coast. Norwegian operates brand new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft with up to 189 seats to service the routes which serve smaller airports on the US east coast. These airports give passengers more affordable access to the New York and Boston areas in addition to tourist attractions in New England.

From 28 October, Norwegian will commence an increased winter 2018 schedule with the following added flights:

British Airways Bulk Buy Monarch's Slots At Gatwick As Level Goes To Paris

British Airways have beaten low-cost rivals EasyJet and Norwegian in the rush to snap up the slots at London Gatwick Airport vacated by the bankrupt Monarch Airlines.  

Whilst the exact number of slots and the true price paid hasn't been released or reported at the present time, it is understood to be just under £50 million. It is also believed that not all the slots will be used by British Airways, a number are expected to be allocated to Level, the new low-cost, long-haul airline IAG set up in June.

Level started flying in the summer from Barcelona to Los Angeles, San Francisco, Buenos Aires and Punta Canan, with new routes due to be announced soon. IAG also revealed today that Level's next base opening with be Orly Airport in Paris. The carrier will base two A330's at Orly and fly to Montreal, New York, Guadeloupe and Martinique from July next year, with fares starting from €99 one way, plus charges and fees.

Willy Walsh the IAG boss said: "Barcelona operation has been an incredible success. Customers love it and Level will be profitable this year. Barcelona was always a first step and today we’re delighted to launch flights from our second European city with four exciting new routes from Paris."

Route start dates - 

Flights to Montreal start on 2nd July 2018  three times per week.

Flights to Guadeloupe start on 3rd July 2018 four times per week.

Flights to Martinique start on  3rd September 3 2018 three times per week.

Flights to New York (Newark) start on 4th September 2018 four times per week.

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