Today Iberia begins to operate from the new Terminal 4 complex at the Madrid-Barajas airport. Its move to the new facility is the largest in company history and coincides with the 60th anniversary of its first scheduled services to Latin America,
when it became the first company after World War II to link Europe and Latin America by air.
The new T4 complex will house all Iberia92s Madrid operations, and those of its oneworld alliance partners and other carriers with which the Spanish airline has code-share arrangements. Together, these companies account for more than 70% of all activity at the Madrid-Barajas airport.
The new installations will provide a substantial boost to Iberia in its efforts to grow in its strategic Latin American markets. The airline currently offers 110 direct flights every week to 17 Latin American cities. In 2005 it carried more than 3 million passengers on these routes, where Iberia is leader with a market share of 17.5% overall, and of 19.2% in business class.
Iberia customers will find Terminal 4 to be a modern and efficient traffic distribution centre, linking more than 120 domestic and international destinations. The luminous and spacious volumes of the new terminal facilitate convenient connections, making air travel a much more enjoyable experience.
Business travellers can relax or work in Iberia92s three VIP lounges in the T4 complex, where they will find showers, fully-equipped working and meeting spaces, a television zone, toilets with facilities for the handicapped and for infant care, and a place to check coats and luggage.
The new T4 can serve as many as 35 million passengers a year, which represents a doubling of airport capacity. New runways, parallel to the existing ones, are also entering service today, raising capacity from 75 to 120 operations per hour. This translates into a significant reduction of waiting and travel time.
Today Iberia is Spain92s leading airline and also market leader on routes between Europe and Latin America. With sales of more than 4.8 billion euros in 2004, a net profit of 220 million euros, and an EBITDAR margin of 16%, it is one of Europe92s most profitable airlines. It is also outstanding for its commitment to the best social, economic, and environmental practices. Its efforts to bring handicapped people into the workplace have earned Iberia recognition as one of the three companies best perceived for social policies, and the first in programmes undertaken in cooperation with employees, according to a 2003 study by the Enterprise and Society Foundation. Along with its franchise partner Iberia Regional, Iberia operates some 1,000 flights each day to about a hundred destinations. The airline carried
30.5 million passengers in 2004. Iberia is a member of the oneworld airline alliance along with Aer Lingus, American Airlines, British Airways, Cathay Pacific, Finnair, LAN Chile and Qantas.
For further information: Iberia
International Press Office
Tel.: +34 91 587 7732 / 7462 / 7465
Fax: +34 91 587 7469
E-mail: prensaintl@iberia.es
