Spanish airline has revived fleet arrival plans, stalled by the pandemic. In the first half of this year, it will take delivery of nine new aircraft –three long-haul A350-900s, and six A320neo’s for medium- and short-haul routes.
Of the 20 Airbus A350-900s ordered, Iberia had held up deliveries of eleven. The first, registered as EC-NMZ and named “Hola, Madrid” was delivered on 23 February, and two more will join the fleet before the end of March, bringing the total to 12. The remaining eight Airbus A350-900s on order will be delivered gradually through 2024.
In the course of 2022 Iberia expects to take delivery of a total of six Airbus A320neo, which will replace the planes retired due to low demand during the pandemic. The first two of these joined the fleet in this month of February, and four more are due to arrive in the coming months. The six new units will bring Iberia’s A320neo fleet to a total of 14. The remaining three units on order are to be delivered in 2023.
The first aircraft of the eight-unit A321XLR order IAG placed for Iberia in 2019, is also scheduled to arrive in late 2023. This new aircraft model will allow the airline to operate new transatlantic destinations and increase frequencies in key markets.
