IAG’s new no-frills airline Iberia Express has announced its first routes when the carrier begins services on Sunday.
Iberia’s new carrier will fly initially between Madrid and Palma in Majorca, Alicante, Malaga and Seville on March 25.
Iberia Express will expand this to 17 destinations from Madrid for the summer including eight further Spanish destinations, plus Dublin, Naples, Mykonos, Riga and Amsterdam.IAG, which also owns British Airways, said the move is crucial to “restore profitability to short- and medium-haul routes” for Iberia.
But the move has sparked a dispute with the Spanish airline’s pilots who have already held 12 days of strikes and had been due to hold 24 more days of walkouts in the next few weeks. Although these latest strikes have been averted as both the airline and pilots union Sepla have agreed to go into mediation.Iberia CEO Rafael Sanchez-Lozano said “Iberia Express will be a success story that adds value to the Iberia Group.
“It will restore profitability to short- and medium-haul routes, add new destinations and connections, and feed traffic to the long-haul network where Iberia is focusing its growth strategy.” Iberia Express CEO Luis Gallego added: “Iberia Express will have the best of Iberia and new attributes associated with the ‘express’ concept’.
The new airline will be managed independently but will use Iberia’s maintenance and other services. Domestic flights will start from €25.
