Expanding Bond Between Iberia and Argentina: Enhanced Flights Frequency and Yearly Employment Count Surpassing 7,000
Rich history binds Iberia and Argentina, dating back nearly 80 years. Buenos Aires marks one of the first international destinations for Iberia, and the connection remains strong today. Recently, Iberia expanded operations between Buenos Aires and Madrid to three daily flights, catering to approximately 2,000 people each day. By 2025, they will offer 725,000 seats.
Sonia Sánchez Plaza, Director of Communication, Institutional Relations, and Social Impact at Iberia, expresses Argentina's significance in their business. "For us, Argentina is one of our main countries where we have the greatest focus of our business," she stated in an interview with Clarín. "For us, Buenos Aires is Iberia’s history. Next year, we’ll celebrate 80 years of uninterrupted flying here. We have a special bond with Argentina," she added.
To strengthen this bond, Iberia set up Iberia Space on Florida Street, inviting locals to experience the airline firsthand. Over 28,000 people visited the experience center within a month. One could taste the food served on board, see historically used uniforms, and take a flight simulator with an instructor's guidance.
The affinity between Spain and Argentina is deep. For Spaniards, Argentina is a top vacation spot, boasting natural and cultural wonders, like Buenos Aires. Documented family tourism is prevalent, with people visiting relatives on both sides of the ocean. For Iberia, Buenos Aires serves as an excellent entry point to Europe, with many Argentines opting for a stopover offer, allowing them to spend a few days in Spain before continuing their journey.
Iberia, with its purpose to generate a positive social impact, has been instrumental in employment creation. The route connecting Buenos Aires and Madrid generates around 7,500 jobs annually between direct, indirect, and induced employment, contributing to around 250 million euros in wealth generation.
Beyond job creation, Iberia engages in philanthropic activities, providing humanitarian aid, and collaborating with associations and NGOs to transport refugees. They also implement initiatives like partnering with the National Organization of Transplants to transport organs in Spain and immediately assist those in need.
"People are increasingly interested in the service they contract maintaining a standard with which they feel comfortable, that it's not a company that does something that questions their own values," Sánchez Plaza stated. Aligning with this, Iberia invests significantly to ensure a superior value proposition and a more sustainable operation.
As the aviation sector strives to decarbonize, Iberia takes action by leveraging two tools: renewing the fleet and utilizing sustainable aviation fuel. In Spain, investments are made to gradually transition to more energy-efficient aircraft. The operation with Buenos Aires is primarily carried out with Airbus A350 next-generation aircraft, which consume 35% less fuel and significantly reduce polluting emissions.
Sustainable aviation fuel consumption is currently the most effective solution, potentially reducing polluting emissions by over 80%. Iberia has started using it and plans to do more. A challenge arises, however, as production is currently scarce, and prices remain high. Iberia, along with the entire aviation industry, calls for government and supranational organizations to support sustainable aviation fuel production to facilitate more viable usage without raising ticket prices.
Whether it's sustainability, social impact, or cultural exchange, Iberia continues to strengthen its ties with Argentina. With a focus on job creation, innovative solutions, and a commitment to reducing its carbon footprint, the future looks bright for Iberia's operations between Buenos Aires and Madrid.
- Iberia, with a strong focus on Argentina as one of its main countries for business, attributes Buenos Aires as its history, emphasizing their 80-year history of uninterrupted flights to the city.
- In an effort to strengthen the bond between Spain and Argentina, Iberia set up an experience center, Iberia Space, inviting locals to engage with the airline and experience its offerings.
- The route connecting Buenos Aires and Madrid provides not only transportation but also brings significant economic impact, generating around 7,500 jobs annually and contributing to around 250 million euros in wealth generation.
- With the aviation sector aiming to decarbonize, Iberia is taking action to reduce their carbon footprint by implementing strategies such as renewing the fleet with fuel-efficient aircraft and utilizing sustainable aviation fuel, while advocating for government and supranational support to increase its production and availability.
