Iberia Express takes off

BUDGET air carrier Iberia Express launches today.

This new no-frills company launched by Iberia Airlines, whose parent company IAG also owns British Airways, will fly initially between Madrid and Palma in Mallorca, Alicante, Malaga and Sevilla then expand to 17 more destinations in the summer.

Domestic flights start from 25 euros, and international destinations are set to include Dublin, Naples, Mykonos, Riga and Amsterdam.

Iberia Airlines’ new addition has provoked 24 days of strikes from the company’s pilots, who fear it will lead to reduced pay and worse working conditions.

Twenty-four more strikes are planned for the coming weeks.

Iberia CEO Rafael Sanchez-Lozano, however, has high hopes for the launch.

“Iberia Express will be a success story that adds value to the Iberia Group,” he said.

“It will restore profitability to short- and medium-haul routes, add new destinations and connections, and feed traffic to the long-haul network where Iberia is focusing its growth strategy.”