Iberia to recover 85% of its capacity this summer

Aviación al Día

3 years ago

If the evolution of the current socio-political context allows it, Iberia will recover this summer 85% of the capacity it offered in 2019. Since the beginning of the pandemic, the airline has been committed to stimulating demand by offering as much capacity as possible and, in the coming summer season, it has already recovered almost its entire network of destinations and has been adding frequencies in markets where restrictions have been lifted.

Specifically, Iberia will operate up to 340 weekly long-haul flights this summer, 220 with Latin America and another 120 between Europe and the North Atlantic; the airline will reach pre-pandemic levels in Europe and its subsidiary Iberia Express will increase its capacity in the Balearic and Canary Islands by nearly 30% over 2019.

United States, the big bet

The United States will be the country where Iberia will deploy the largest capacity: in the summer season it will increase from six to nine destinations with more than 120 weekly flights between Spain and the United States. Starting in June, the airline will launch the route to Washington that it announced before the pandemic, to which it will add Dallas and the recovery of San Francisco. It will also increase flights to Boston, Los Angeles, Miami and New York.

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Iberia will fly direct from Spain to Washington. From June 1 to October 29, the airline has scheduled four weekly flights (Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays) to the U.S. capital.

From June 1, it will also operate to Dallas. The flights are scheduled from June 1 through October 29, with four weekly frequencies (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays). Dallas is American Airlines’ major hub, which ensures great connectivity within the United States for Iberia’s customers as part of its joint business agreement with American Airlines, British Airways and Finnair for the operation of routes between Europe and the North Atlantic.

Iberia also recovers the route to San Francisco from June 1 until September 30 with three weekly frequencies (Monday, Wednesday and Friday). Only IAG airlines offer direct flights to San Francisco; Iberia from Madrid and LEVEL from Barcelona, starting March 29 and with four weekly frequencies (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays).

In addition, Iberia will have up to 14 weekly Madrid-New York flights, in addition to LEVEL’s daily flight from Barcelona. It will offer another 14 flights with Miami; Chicago will have up to seven flights a week, and Boston will also have a daily flight in July and August, an operation that is complemented by the four weekly frequencies Barcelona-Boston. Los Angeles will have up to five weekly Iberia frequencies from Madrid and four more LEVEL frequencies from Barcelona.

The offer is completed with up to five weekly flights to San Juan de Puerto Rico, a destination that is also part of the joint business agreement for routes between Europe and the North Atlantic that Iberia has with American Airlines, British Airways and Finnair.

Double daily flights to Argentina, Colombia and Mexico

In this summer season, Iberia will also recover a good part of the frequencies it offered in its main Latin American markets, reaching 220 weekly flights in July and August.

Starting in June, it will offer 19 weekly flights with Mexico, which is already very close to the three daily flights it operated before the pandemic. In Colombia, Iberia exceeds pandemic capacity with two daily flights (four more than in 2019), and in Argentina it will also reach two daily flights in July and August.

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With Peru, Chile and Brazil the airline consolidates its daily flights, with Ecuador there will also be seven flights a week, four to Quito and another three to Guayaquil, and with Uruguay it will offer between four and five weekly flights.

The airline will not fly to Venezuela between June and September.

In the Caribbean, Iberia will reach nine weekly flights to the Dominican Republic in July and August, and in Cuba it will increase its offer to four weekly flights.

In Central America, Iberia maintains its operation with direct flights to Costa Rica (up to six weekly flights), Guatemala-El Salvador (four weekly flights) and Panama (up to five weekly flights).

In Europe, pre-pandemic levels are reached.

Iberia and Iberia Express fully recovers the capacity it offered in 2019 in short and medium-haul and even exceeds it in some destinations, such as flights with the Canary and Balearic Islands.

For yet another summer, Iberia is betting on destinations where outdoor activities are possible. In Portugal it will offer flights to Lisbon, Porto, Faro, Funchal and, for the second consecutive year, it will fly to the Azores Islands, to Ponta Delgada.

Italy will also have a large deployment in terms of destinations and frequencies. It will fly to 11 destinations: Rome, Milan, Florence, Venice, Naples, Naples, Bologna and Turin and, from mid-June, Catania, Olbia, Cagliari (operated by Iberia) and Bari (operated by Iberia Express) will be added.

Croatia is one of the most attractive international destinations for outdoor activities. This summer Iberia will once again offer flights to three destinations that allow you to tour the country: Dubrovnik, Zagreb and Split.

And Greece completes the quartet of summer offers, with flights to Athens and Corfu, operated by Iberia, and to Mykonos, Crete and Santorini, operated by Iberia Express.

In view of the good reception of the routes to Bergen (Norway) and Keflavik (Iceland), and for the most adventurous customers, Iberia and Iberia Express will offer up to two flights per week from the Spanish capital.