Source: Iberia

  • On September 22, 1946, the first commercial flights between Europe and Latin America were established.
  • This year Iberia has gradually recovered its service network in Latin America and, in the winter season, will offer more than 200 direct flights a week to 17 destinations in 15 countries in the region.
  • And, throughout the pandemic, the airline has maintained connectivity between Spain and Latin America, carrying out more than 60 repatriation flights.

Iberia celebrates this week the 75th anniversary of its flights to Latin America, its main market and on which it has developed its entire strategy in recent years, building a true bridge between Europe and Latin America and making Madrid the main gateway from Latin America to the old continent.

It was on September 22, 1946 when an Iberia DC-4 left Madrid’s Barajas airport, bound for Buenos Aires, thus establishing the first regular flights between Europe and Latin America. The route of those first flights was Madrid-Villa Cisneros-Natal-Montevideo-Buenos Aires. A 36 hour trip, including stops.

Since then, Iberia has operated non-stop flights to Latin America, demonstrating its commitment in the good times and the not so good.

Flying, the documentary

On the occasion of this momentous milestone for Spain’s flag carrier, the trailer for the documentary “Flying” has also been released, a song that was born to welcome Iberia’s Airbus A350 and as a tribute to its employees, it has turned it into a documentary that will be presented at the Platinum Ibero-American Film Awards.

Its producer, Javier Limón, has traveled to several Latin American countries, in addition to Spain, Portugal and the United States, to join artists of the stature of Michel Camillo, Alain Pérez or Inma Cuesta, among others, who have been part of the Volando tour.

Photographic exhibition

In addition, Iberia and EFE have inaugurated on September 20, 2021 at Casa de América in Madrid a photographic exhibition on these 75 years of flights between Europe and Latin America. Attendees will be able to enjoy images of the first planes, the crews of those years, the service on board or the historical advertising of the airline.

The exhibition will be open until September 27, 2021 from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. from Monday to Friday, and on Saturday until 3:00 p.m. Admission is free.

This winter, more than 200 flights to Latin America

As part of its commitment to Latin America, Iberia has been gradually recovering its route program and, in the winter season, will offer more than 200 direct flights a week to 17 destinations in 15 countries in the region.

The airline has scheduled growth in several countries such as Mexico, the Dominican Republic and Colombia especially, and has also planned more flights throughout Central America and Uruguay.

Repatriation flights, medical supplies and vaccines

In addition, during the most complicated months of the pandemic, Iberia always maintained connectivity between Spain and Latin America and made more than 60 repatriation flights to Argentina, Colombia, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Panama, the Dominican Republic and Uruguay, facilitating the return home of thousands of people.

From the first moment, Iberia thought that it was its duty to make itself available to society and, thus, it has also been able to transport tons of medical supplies to this region and, more recently, vaccines to countries such as Chile, the Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Mexico, Peru and Uruguay.