Iberia celebrates 95 years since its first flight
On Wednesday, Spain’s Iberia celebrates the 95th anniversary of its first flight between Barcelona and Madrid. This was the first precursor of the Air Bridge which, 95 years later, continues to be the airline’s major commitment to connectivity and corporate traffic in Spain.
Today, this route has 86 weekly frequencies, bringing the number of daily flights to 15. In the winter season, Iberia will offer close to 700,000 seats, a figure that is already slightly above the pre-COVID capacity on this route.
→ Iberia will offer a daily flight to Dallas starting June 2023
The Air Shuttle, which when it opened in 1974 became the first route of its kind in Europe, today continues to connect Madrid and Barcelona under the “arrive and fly” philosophy that characterizes this service, as it allows customers to check in up to 20 minutes before flight departure and offers total flexibility in connections between the two cities.
Iberia took flight 95 years ago
Seated in wicker seats and bound for Cuatro Vientos aerodrome in Madrid, 10 people set off from Barcelona on Iberia’s first commercial flight, which took place on December 14, 1927.
Together with two crew members, baggage and cargo, they flew in a three-engine Rohrbach Roland aircraft, whose maximum speed was 205 km/h, which allowed them to complete the journey in three and a half hours. Upon arrival, King Alfonso XIII presided over the ceremony that made official the birth of the company, founded six months earlier.
From that moment on, Iberia offered daily flights between Madrid and Barcelona, with a fleet of three Rohrbach Roland trimotor planes, which, during the first month of operation, totaled 75 flights and 287 passengers. The price of the trip was 163 pesetas and 300 pesetas for those who bought a round trip.
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Plataforma Informativa de Aviación Comercial con 13 años de trayectoria.