The Diplomat
Iberia recovered in 2022 the entire network of destinations it had in 2019, before the coronavirus pandemic, according to the company, which added that over the course of this year it received 13 new aircraft.
In addition to recovering flights to all the destinations it had three years ago, Iberia has managed to get closer to the capacity figures it recorded in 2019. In the fourth quarter of 2022 it has deployed 95% of what it flew in 2019, and with the prospect of starting 2023 with capacity that is five percentage points above pre-pandemic levels.
In total, in 2022, the airline has taken delivery of 13 new aircraft. These include seven A350s – the last four of the new Airbus standard, of which it has been the launch carrier – and six A320s, ideal for short and medium-haul routes.
Iberia will also start 2023 with new Business, Premium Economy and Economy cabins, the last two new-generation A350s that joined the fleet this December.
In addition, last June the airline launched new uniforms, renewed its gastronomic offer, upgraded its in-flight entertainment system with more options, and extended free wifi for chatting to its entire fleet.
Iberia also focused on strengthening its hub at Madrid airport, with the aim of being able to compete with the main European hubs.
In 2022, the company launched a strong offensive in the United States, with the opening of Dallas and Washington, and now has eight destinations (New York, Miami, Boston, Los Angeles and Chicago, to which San Francisco, Dallas and Washington were added). As a result, it has 120 flights a week between Spain and the United States, and this winter it has deployed 15% more capacity in that market than before the pandemic.
At the same time, Latin America has been Iberia’s other big bet in 2022 and will be even more so in 2023. After the recovery of the routes to Caracas and Rio de Janeiro, it has 18 destinations in 16 countries, with an offer of around 260 weekly flights, a figure that is expected to continue to grow in the coming months. Iberia’s most significant growth in this market has been in Mexico (up to three daily flights) and Colombia (where it will grow from two daily flights to 18 frequencies and, progressively, to three daily flights).
These two countries, together with Peru (where it will increase from seven to ten flights a week, and the airline’s intention is to reach two daily flights) and Argentina, will be the focus of Iberia’s offensive in 2023, which already offers daily flights to all of Central America, continues to grow in the Caribbean and is increasing its capacity in other countries such as Ecuador and Uruguay.
In 2022, Iberia has also made its first purchase of sustainably sourced fuel. Specifically, the airline has signed an agreement with US chemical and advanced biofuels supplier Gevo to purchase 110,700 tonnes of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) over five years (i.e. 22,000 tonnes per year), enough to reduce CO2 emissions by up to 353,000 tonnes (the equivalent of removing more than 22,800 cars from the road). Iberia will start fuelling its flights from Los Angeles and San Francisco with 45% SAF in 2028.
Iberia expects to return to profit in 2022 after the pandemic. In the third quarter of the year, the company obtained a positive result of 246 million euros, and this good dynamic is expected to continue in the fourth quarter, which would allow the company to have a positive result for the consolidated 2022, with all three businesses (airline, handling and maintenance) returning to profit.
On the labour front, Iberia has managed to close in just three months the agreements with its workers on the three collective bargaining agreements (ground, pilots and Flight Attendants), a factor that will contribute to social peace over the next three years, and will allow the company to focus on its growth plans.
In addition, during 2022, Iberia has transformed the contracts of 1,692 Airport Management employees into permanent discontinuous workers, and more than 300 other TCP contracts into permanent discontinuous workers.
This year, 52 pilots have joined Iberia, coming from its Cadet programme and from the call for employment that the company opened last June.
