After the fiasco of Air Europa, Iberia will focus on implementing the so-called “Flight Plan 2030”, with which it aims to “develop Madrid as a leading European hub” through “our organic growth and our collaborations and joint ventures with partner companies”.
“We are already articulating and developing this strategy, which we will share with you in the coming weeks,” said Marco Sansavini, president and CEO of Iberia, in a letter to workers after learning of the split with the Globalia airline.
One of the central axes of the new roadmap will be the expansion of the fleet. Although there is still no defined number, expert sources consulted by Preferential They reveal that the IAG airline’s intention is to accelerate the incorporation of aircraft in order to reach as soon as possible a fleet similar to that which it would have achieved with the integration of Air Europa, which currently has 52 aircraft, half Boeing 787 Dreamliners and the other half Boeing 737s.
“Iberia will work to achieve organic growth as close as possible to the sum of the Air Europa operation,” they stressed.
To achieve this goal, Iberia’s management has set itself the objective of “continuing to expand and renew the A350 fleet”, a model that has already surpassed the A330 in number, as well as taking advantage of the enormous possibilities that will come with the entry into service of the A321XLR, a narrow-aisle aircraft that will enable it to cover routes of more than 8,000 kilometres.
Regarding the latest model, which is scheduled to be launched in mid-November, Iberia has agreed to add eight units. “We will be the first airline in the world to operate the A321XLR, which will allow us to target new destinations on the east coast of the United States, Canada and Brazil,” the company highlights.
At present, adding the six Level units, Iberia has 48 long-haul aircraft, so if it were to incorporate a figure similar to what would have been provided by the integration of Air Europa, it could exceed 70. In the case of short and medium-haul, the current number is 74.
