Iberia
Iberia at a glance
Iberia is Europe's bridge to Latin America: from its Terminal 4 hub at Madrid Barajas, Spain's flag carrier operates the continent's largest network to South and Central America, a franchise built on language, history and geography that no other European airline can match. Founded in 1927 and merged with British Airways in 2011 to create IAG, it has swung from near-collapse in the early 2010s to become one of the group's most profitable airlines.
Iberia made aviation history in November 2024 as the world's first operator of the Airbus A321XLR, flying the long-range narrowbody to Boston, and its A350-900s carry the trunk routes to Buenos Aires, São Paulo, Bogotá and Mexico City. The next chapter is scale: Aena's expansion of Madrid Barajas toward 90 million passengers is, in practice, an expansion of Iberia's hub.
Fleet
Iberia flies all-Airbus: A350-900s on the Latin American trunk routes, A330s alongside them, A320-family narrowbodies across Europe, and the A321XLR, which Iberia introduced to the world, stretching narrowbody economics across the Atlantic.
| Aircraft | Role | Fleet Size |
|---|---|---|
| Airbus A350-900 | Latin America flagship | ~25 |
| Airbus A321XLR | World's first operator, from November 2024 | 8 ordered |
| Airbus A320neo | Short-haul core (A320 family) | ~60 |
Hub & route network
Madrid Barajas Terminal 4 is the machine: European and domestic feed, including Iberia Express and regional partner Air Nostrum, banks onto the largest Europe-Latin America network in the industry, with the Madrid hub's growth plans effectively underwriting Iberia's own.Alliance & partnerships
Iberia is a oneworld member and flies the transatlantic joint business with British Airways and American Airlines, while Iberia Plus runs on Avios, the common currency across IAG's loyalty programs.Group structure
Iberia merged with British Airways in 2011 to form International Airlines Group and now operates alongside BA, Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL, with low-cost subsidiary Iberia Express feeding the Madrid hub.Full specifications
Latest Iberia coverage from AeroTime
Frequently asked questions
The largest European network to Latin America, operated from its Terminal 4 hub at Madrid Barajas, with A350-900s on trunk routes to cities including Buenos Aires, São Paulo and Mexico City.
Yes, Iberia flew the world's first commercial A321XLR service in November 2024, Madrid to Boston, ahead of every other customer for the type.
International Airlines Group, formed by Iberia's 2011 merger with British Airways; the group also owns Aer Lingus, Vueling and LEVEL.