Iberia to Open New Routes to Atlanta, Orlando, Charleston, and Philadelphia
Iberia, the airline of the IAG group, is set to open new routes to medium-sized cities in the United States and Brazil with its new A321 Extra Long Range (XLR) aircraft. The new aircraft, which have fewer seats but better operating costs than the Airbus A330 and A350, will allow the airline to reach cities that were previously not viable for transoceanic trips.
IAG is expecting to receive 14 A321 XLR narrow aisle aircraft between 2024 and 2026, which will be used by Iberia, Aer Lingus, and Level. The airline group believes that this new aircraft model will help them cover 100% of their capacity to operate in intermediate cities, as the A330 and A350 have lower load factors.
In the United States, Iberia plans to operate to cities such as Atlanta, Orlando, Charleston, and Philadelphia. In Brazil, they will fly to destinations like Salvador de Bahía and Natal if IAG completes the purchase of TAP.
The A321 XLR has a range of 8,700 kilometers, a 15% increase over the A321 LR’s range of 7,400 kilometers. Currently, Iberia operates flights to major cities in the United States such as New York, Miami, Chicago, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Washington. They also operate under the Level brand between Barcelona-El Prat and several US cities.
Additionally, Iberia has introduced a new biometric boarding system in its mobile app to speed up the boarding process at airports. Passengers can create a biometric profile by registering their face in the app, allowing them to pass through security and board the plane without showing any documents.
The new routes and innovations by Iberia are expected to enhance the airline’s offerings and passenger experience.