Iberia: 6 new transatlantic routes, dozens more planes and new lounges
Spanish airline Iberia wants to become a bigger player in the Americas, so it's planning to add dozens of new planes and more routes to the region.
The expansion will see the Oneworld alliance carrier and American Airlines partner add at least six new transatlantic routes — including its first-ever route to Orlando and Philadelphia. It'll expand its long-haul fleet by about two-thirds to 70 total planes in the next few years under its new “Flight Plan 2030.”
The aim is to expand Iberia’s Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport (MAD) hub into “a leading European hub,” Marco Sansavini, CEO of Iberia, said at an event in Madrid on June 18.
"Madrid is the new Miami," is how Raymond James aviation analyst Savanthi Syth put it in a report on Iberia's plan.
Flight Plan 2030 is the first strategy for Iberia since the collapse of a plan to turn Madrid into a “360-degree hub” that would compete with the likes of KLM’s hub at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol (AMS) and Lufthansa’s hub at Frankfurt Airport (FRA). International Airlines Group’s (the owner of Iberia) plan to merge the airline with competing Spanish carrier Air Europa collapsed in 2024 after it was blocked by European regulators.
The new plan is somewhat less ambitious. Rather than a 360-degree hub, Iberia will leverage the geographic position of Madrid in the southwestern corner of Europe to become one of the continent’s main gateways to the Americas. Service to Africa and Asia will be left to partners, including Japan Airlines and Qatar Airways, as well as other IAG airlines, like British Airways.
“It is very clear to us that the American continent is an opportunity,” Maria Jesús López Solás, chief commercial officer of Iberia, said at the event in Madrid.
But even a less ambitious plan has big competitive ramifications for Iberia. Schedule data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows that the airline was the eighth largest by seats between Europe and the Americas in the second quarter. A two-thirds expansion of its long-haul fleet could bump it up a few notches, potentially surpassing airlines like Air Canada and Lufthansa.
New Orlando, Philadelphia flights are just the beginning
Iberia on Wednesday unveiled plans for three new destinations in the Americas: Monterrey International Airport (MTY) in Mexico, Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) — a major hub and the main European gateway for American — and Toronto Pearson Airport (YYZ).
The Monterrey route will operate with either an Airbus A330 or A350; the Philadelphia and Toronto routes “could be” flown by one of Iberia’s new Airbus A321XLRs, a longer-range variant of the popular Airbus A321neo, Solás said.
With the additions, Iberia has six new transatlantic routes on deck and more on the way. The airline will begin flights from MAD to Orlando International Airport (MCO) on Oct. 26, 2025, and to the Brazilian destinations of Recife/Guararapes-Gilberto Freyre International Airport (REC) in December and Pinto Martins-Fortaleza International Airport (FOR) in January 2026.
Iberia’s new routes are only the start. The airline is evaluating more U.S. destinations on the East Coast within range of the A321XLR, Solás said. She reiterated that all of Iberia's XLRs will fly to the Americas.
One possible addition is Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) or a “second New York airport,” as Solás put it.
A separate investor presentation on June 17 also shows Charlotte-Douglas International Airport and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport — both Oneworld alliance hubs — as future potential destinations, as well as dozens of additional cities in Canada and Latin America.
Iberia will also expand to Latin America, where it has long held a dominant position among European airlines. This will include new destinations and additional flights to major cities — “super core” markets, as Sansavini put it — like Buenos Aires, Mexico City and Santiago, Chile.
“No one has the coverage that we have,” he said.
Iberia plans to grow its schedule, or capacity, by 3% to 5% annually through 2030.
More A321XLRs, A330s and A350s
Key to Iberia’s plan are 25 new long-haul planes. These include five A321XLRs and nine A350-900s already committed to the airline by IAG, as well as 11 of the 21 A330-900s in IAG's order book. Deliveries will stretch into the early 2030s.
Iberia currently flies 45 long-haul planes: three A321XLRs, 20 A330s and 22 A350s, its fleet plan shows.
All of the new planes will feature Iberia’s latest onboard product. This includes lie-flat, business-class suites on the A330s and A350s, an updated premium economy seat, and inflight connectivity across all aircraft. Older A330s will be retrofitted with the new offerings.
The new aircraft are contingent on Iberia achieving its financial targets of operating profit margins of 13.5% to 15% annually, Sansavini said. If it fails to meet those targets, growth could slow.
Upgrades to Iberia's Madrid hub
Iberia plans to upgrade its facilities in Madrid to match its growth. The first piece is a new premium lounge for, as Solás described it, Oneworld Emerald (the alliance’s highest loyalty tier) travelers at MAD. The new lounge, Iberia's third at MAD, is expected to open around the end of the year.
The airline already has two lounges in the Madrid airport: one for travelers within Europe’s Schengen Area and one for those going to destinations outside of Europe.
Sansavini did not comment on bottlenecks at customs in Terminal 4 at MAD, where non-European Union passport holders can face waits of more than an hour. Long waits increase minimum connection times and make a hub less efficient by forcing an airline to schedule more time between flights.
This reporter's flight from Madrid to Washington, D.C., was delayed by 20 minutes awaiting travelers stuck in customs.
MAD operator Aena is in the midst of a multibillion-dollar expansion of Terminal 4 by 2030 to accommodate future passenger growth.
“We’re working closely with Aena,” Sansavini said. “We believe this is coherent with [our] development plan.”
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There’s a lot to love about the Amex Gold. It’s a fan favorite thanks to its fantastic bonus-earning rates at restaurants worldwide and at U.S. supermarkets. If you’re hitting the skies soon, you’ll also earn bonus Membership Rewards points on travel. Paired with up to $120 in Uber Cash annually (for U.S. Uber rides or Uber Eats orders, card must be added to Uber app and you can redeem with any Amex card), up to $120 in annual dining statement credits to be used with eligible partners, an up to $84 Dunkin’ credit each year at U.S. Dunkin Donuts and an up to $100 Resy credit annually, there’s no reason that foodies shouldn’t add the Amex Gold to their wallet. These benefits alone are worth more than $400, which offsets the $325 annual fee on the Amex Gold card. Enrollment is required for select benefits. (Partner offer)Pros
- 4 points per dollar spent on dining at restaurants worldwide and U.S. supermarkets (on the first $50,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter and $25,000 in purchases per calendar year; then 1 point per dollar spent thereafter, respectively)
- 3 points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with the airline or with amextravel.com
- Packed with credits foodies will enjoy
- Solid welcome bonus
Cons
- Not as useful for those living outside the U.S.
- Some may have trouble using Uber and other dining credits
- You may be eligible for as high as 100,000 Membership Rewards® Points after you spend $6,000 in eligible purchases on your new Card in your first 6 months of Card Membership. Welcome offers vary and you may not be eligible for an offer. Apply to know if you’re approved and find out your exact welcome offer amount – all with no credit score impact. If you’re approved and choose to accept the Card, your score may be impacted.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on purchases at restaurants worldwide, on up to $50,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 4X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent at US supermarkets, on up to $25,000 in purchases per calendar year, then 1X points for the rest of the year.
- Earn 3X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on flights booked directly with airlines or on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 2X Membership Rewards® points per dollar spent on prepaid hotels and other eligible purchases booked on AmexTravel.com.
- Earn 1X Membership Rewards® point per dollar spent on all other eligible purchases.
- $120 Uber Cash on Gold: Add your Gold Card to your Uber account and get $10 in Uber Cash each month to use on orders and rides in the U.S. when you select an American Express Card for your transaction. That’s up to $120 Uber Cash annually. Plus, after using your Uber Cash, use your Card to earn 4X Membership Rewards® points for Uber Eats purchases made with restaurants or U.S. supermarkets. Point caps and terms apply.
- $84 Dunkin' Credit: With the $84 Dunkin' Credit, you can earn up to $7 in monthly statement credits after you enroll and pay with the American Express® Gold Card at U.S. Dunkin' locations. Enrollment is required to receive this benefit.
- $100 Resy Credit: Get up to $100 in statement credits each calendar year after you pay with the American Express® Gold Card to dine at U.S. Resy restaurants or make other eligible Resy purchases. That's up to $50 in statement credits semi-annually. Enrollment required.
- $120 Dining Credit: Satisfy your cravings, sweet or savory, with the $120 Dining Credit. Earn up to $10 in statement credits monthly when you pay with the American Express® Gold Card at Grubhub, The Cheesecake Factory, Goldbelly, Wine.com, and Five Guys. Enrollment required.
- Explore over 1,000 upscale hotels worldwide with The Hotel Collection and receive a $100 credit towards eligible charges* with every booking of two nights or more through AmexTravel.com. *Eligible charges vary by property.
- No Foreign Transaction Fees.
- Annual Fee is $325.
- Terms Apply.