Дата: 08-08-22 13:42

A Short History Of Spanish Flag Carrier Iberia

The airline came into existence in 1927.



Spanish flag carrier airline Iberia is fast approaching its centenary year. Indeed, the Madrid-based oneworld member will turn 100 years old in 2027 and is among the world's oldest continually active airlines. Its existing 95-year history is an interesting and diverse one, so let's take a look back at how the carrier has developed.

The early years

Iberia was founded in June 1927 and commenced operations six months later, in December that year. It had financial backing from Spanish businessman Horacio Echevarrieta Maruri and then-German flag carrier Deutsche Luft Hansa. This backing amounted to a capital investment worth 1.1 million pesetas (Spanish currency from 1868 to 2002).

In 1928, the Primo de Rivera dictatorship merged Spain's airlines into a single entity known as Compañía de Líneas Aéreas Subvencionadas ('Subsidized Airlines Company). Amid the Spanish Civil War, Iberia operated flights to the country's nationalist regions. Afterward, it served various domestic routes and opened its first international service to Lisbon in 1939.

By 1940, the Spanish government had granted Iberia a monopoly on the country's air travel. It then became nationalized in 1944, which it hoped would help foster business relations with the US to aid its goal of flying transatlantic. This became a reality in 1946, when Iberia operated its first service to Buenos Aires, Argentina, using the Douglas DC-4.

The jet age

Iberia continued to grow in the post-war era, adding more DC-3s and DC-4s to its fleet. It also operated aircraft from Lockheed and had nine examples of the L-1049 'Super Constellation' in its fleet by 1961. This was a year that also saw it enter the jet age, when it received its first Douglas DC-8. The Sud Aviation SE 210 'Caravelle' followed the year after.

Iberia had also added another Douglas jetliner, namely the DC-9, to its fleet by the end of the decade. The 1970s saw it enter the widebody market by receiving examples of the iconic Boeing 747, starting in 1970. In 1972, Iberia also dipped into Boeing's narrowbody catalog by taking the 727. A year later, the McDonnell Douglas DC-10 also joined the airline.

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In terms of Iberia's relationship with Airbus designs, this began in 1981, meaning that 2021 marked the 40th anniversary of the Spanish flag carrier's first A300 delivery. This was its first Airbus widebody, and it has since added models from the A330, A340, and A350 families. The jet age also saw Iberia's route network grow, particularly in Latin America.

Iberia today

Today, Iberia is among the world's most significant airlines, particularly when it comes to transatlantic travel. However, while many carriers focus their transatlantic efforts on North America, Iberia's Madrid hub has become a key gateway for European travelers bound for Latin American destinations, owing to Spain's historical links to the region.

In terms of partnerships with other airlines, Iberia has been a member of the oneworld alliance since February 1999, when the group was still in its infancy. It has been part of IAG, which also owns Aer Lingus, British Airways, Level, and Vueling, since 2011.

Two years ago, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic forced Iberia to retire its last A340s. As such, its widebodies are now all Airbus twinjets, with ch-aviation.com listing 25 A330s and 12 A350s in the Spanish flag carrier's fleet.

Short-haul operations are also an all-Airbus affair, with six A319s, 20 A320s, 13 A320neos, 15 A321s, and five A321neos doing the honors. Going forward, it also has the A321XLR on order for longer flights.


Джерело інформації: Simple Flying

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