Iberia Airlines

History

Iberia was incorporated in Madrid on 28 June 1927 with backing from financier Horacio Echevarrieta and Deutsche Luft Hansa, and began flight operations that December. The airline was reorganized repeatedly through Spain's turbulent 20th century — folded into the state pool CLASSA in 1929, restructured after the Civil War, and nationalized under the Instituto Nacional de Industria in 1944 — before being privatized and listed on the Madrid stock exchange in 2001. In 2011 Iberia merged with British Airways to form the holding company International Airlines Group (IAG), ending its era as an independently owned flag carrier.

Current Operations

Iberia operates short/medium-haul routes within Europe alongside long-haul service to Latin America, North America and Asia from its Madrid–Barajas hub, where it accounts for roughly 60% of airport traffic. The Iberia Group flies to around 109 destinations in 39 countries directly, with dozens more reachable via codeshare partners, using an all-Airbus fleet spanning the A320/A321 family to A330 and A350 widebodies. As part of IAG (majority-owned by British Airways) and a oneworld member, Iberia has kept expanding long-haul service, including a resumed Tokyo route from October 2024 after a pandemic-driven suspension.

Last verified 2026-08-22· Source: airline public disclosures, company press releases & aviation-industry reporting.

Serves These Profiled Airports104

Sample Routes8