Iberia AirlinesBenedict Gombocz

Background• Flag carrier and biggest airline of Spain.

• Based in Madrid, operating an international route of services from its main bases of Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport and Barcelona El Prat Airport.

• Is, along with Iberia Regional (operated by Air Nostrum, an independent carrier) and Iberia Express, a part of Iberia Group.

• Aside from transporting passengers and freight, Iberia Group conducts related activities, including aircraft maintenance, handling in airports, and in-flight catering.

• The airlines of Iberia Group fly to more than 102 destinations in thirty-nine countries, along with an additional ninety destinations via code sharing agreements with other airlines.

• It was confirmed on 8 April 2010 that Iberia signed a merger agreement with fellow Oneworld member British Airways; this makes the merged operation the third biggest commercial airline in the world in terms of revenue.

• Stockholders of both airlines approved the contract on 29 November 2010.

• The newly combined company, known as International Airlines Group (IAG), was founded in January 2011, even though both airlines still operate under their existing brands.

Iberia and British Airways tails

Facts • Founded 28 June 1927

• Hubs Madrid-Barajas Airport

• Focus cities Barcelona-El Prat Airport

• Frequent-flyer program Iberia Plus

• Airport lounge Sala VIP

• Alliance Oneworld

• Subsidiaries Iberia Cargo, Iberia Express, Iberia Regional

• Fleet size 74 (excl. subsidiaries)

• Destinations 75

• Company slogan ¿Y mañana, te imaginas?(And tomorrow, you imagine?)

• Parent company International Airlines Group

• Headquarters Madrid, Spain

• Key people Antonio Vázquez (President), Luis Gallego (CEO)

• Website www.iberia.com

Corporate affairs: Head office• The airline’s head office is in the inmobiliaria Colonial in Madrid’s

Business Park.

• This facility is close to the intersection of the Autopista de Circunvalación M-30 and Avenida de América.

• In 2013, the company relocated its main office from the former Campos Velázquez, in Madrid’s Salamanca district, to save money.

Subsidiaries and alliances • Iberia owns a 9.49% sharehold in low-cost carrier Vueling, which is headquartered near Barcelona; parent company IAG owns the

remaining 90.51%.

• This happened to guarantee that IAG does not claim 100% of the shares in Vueling, even though the shares are split between its divisions.

• Iberia additionally has a 0.95% share in Royal Air Maroc.

• The airline, a member of the Oneworld alliance since 1 September 1999, is allied with American Airlines, Qantas, Avianca, British Airways, PLUNA of Uruguay, and Grupo TACA; British Airways owns 55% of its stock capital.

• The airline has a codeshare agreement with a number of fellow Oneworld members: Cathay Pacific on flights from Amsterdam and London Heathrow to Hong Kong, Japan Airlines on flights from Amsterdam to Tokyo Narita, Royal Jordanian from Madrid to Amman, and LAN Airlines for flights connecting to Latin America and most of Europe.

• Iberia also previously owned Aviaco, which operated the majority of the domestic routes; Aviaco was founded on 18 February 1948 and operated until 1 September 1999.

• Iberia also once owned Binter Canarias until the Government of Spain started privatizing that subsidiary; in July 2002, Hesperia Inversiones Aéreas purchased the airline from Iberia.

• In 1988, a second airline using the Binter name, Binter Mediterraneo, was founded as a subsidiary of Iberia in 1988 with routes from Meililla to Malaga, Almeria, Valencia, and Madrid (in its last year).

• In 1998, Air Nostrum purchased Binter Mediterraneo and merged into its operations.

Iberia destinations

Codeshare agreements • Iberia has codeshare agreements with these airlines (fellow Oneworld members marked with *):

Air Malta

Avianca

British Airways*

British Airways Limited*

Bulgaria Air

Comair

Czech Airlines

El Al

Gol Transportes Aéreos

Interjet

Korean Air

Meridiana Fly

Royal Air Maroc

Ukraine International Airlines

US Airways

Vueling Airlines

Iberia Airlines A320-200

Services• Iberia introduced its new Business Plus Class on its Airbus A340 aircraft in 2005.

• The carrier announced in March 2009 that between 2009 and 2011, it would renew its economy class on all its planes as well as create a new business class for its long haul planes.

• Iberia is additionally an aircraft maintenance company that services its fleet and those of an additional forty-eight companies, such as some leading European airlines; it is also a supplier of aircraft handling services at all airports in Spain, and its airline employees are well over 200.

• Iberia was one of the founding partners in the onscreen air ticket reservation system, Amadeus, with an 18.28% sharehold, but that sharehold was sold in 2005.

• The airline is additionally active as a tour operator via its Viva Tours and Tiempo Libre units; with Cacesa, it supplies parcel cargo services.

• Iberia makes use of e-tickets, encouraging purchasers to print the boarding pass before their flight.

• Travellers who only have carry-on baggage can go straight to the boarding gate.

• e-ticket sales made up 93% of all Iberia tickets sold in early 2006.

• Identification of the traveller by means of an identify or passport in Spain is required for all airlines on all networks, such as those within Spain.

Services: Cabins• All of the aircraft in the fleet are configured in a two class

layout with Business and Economy cabins. Iberia currently markets three distinct business class variations, depending on flight length:

Business Class: available on Spanish domestic and inter-European flights. Seats are exactly the same as in the economy cabin, but with the middle (B and E) seats blocked off. Meals, snacks, and drinks (both alcoholic and non-alcoholic) are complimentary and of a higher quality than economy. Business Class tickets additionally comprise improved ground service (priority check-in, security, boarding, baggage handling, and lounge access).

Business Club: a mid-haul product available on flights to specific destinations in Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Israel, Nigeria, and Russia. Unlike on short-haul service, Business Club seats are found in a dedicated cabin, are substantially wider, have a greater seat pitch, and are equipped with leg-rests and in-seat video on demand.

Business Plus: offered on long-haul flights to the Americas and Southern Africa. Offers lie-flat seating and international business class services.

Services: Economy• Iberia has advanced to a more American or “a-la carte” model for both domestic and European flights, and offers a buy on board service

called “Tu Menú” in economy for meals, snacks, and drinks.

• Mid-haul flights to Athens, Cairo, Istanbul, Malabo, Moscow, and Tel Aviv, along with long-haul international flights, are entirely provided in Economy, excluding alcohol.

• Iberia is one of the last enduring major airlines that has not armed all of its international networks with PTVs (the airline, as of 2013, has its A330 fleet with IFE installed in all economy seats and plans to do so with what is left of the A340-600 fleet).

• Gate Gourmet provides in-flight catering.

The End • YouTube links:

54 lennart IBERIA Safety Demonstration Spanish and English HQ Safety Demo: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-83ly-tdKc

Hoy, Iberia está cambiando: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAExfkyrawU

Iberia Airlines: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQqeH0zmfHg