Iberia Adds Central America-Madrid Flights

Iberia is again strengthening its presence in Central America. On January 4 the Spanish airline will operate a fifth weekly flight to Guatemala and Panama on Sundays to in addition to existing services on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. The fourth frequency was added only last May, which indicates the success of this route.

The figures speak for themselves. In 2007 Iberia carried 253,000 passengers between Central America and Europe, a 17.5 percent rise on 2006, with average seat occupancy of nearly 90 percent. In 2009 capacity will be hiked to 357,000, an increase of 6.5 percent from 2008 and of 26 percent from 2007.

Iberia, which this month is marking the fourth anniversary of its services to Guatemala, Panama and Costa Rica, is showing its commitment to Central America with the additional service. It is the sole European airline to service the region without interruption since 1971. Since 2005, the first full year of these flights to the region, seat supplies have almost doubled.

The fifth weekly frequency to Guatemala and Panama raises to twelve the number of weekly flights Iberia operates between Central America and Europe, since it also operates a daily return flight between Madrid and San Jose, Costa Rica, and is the sole European airline to do so.

The new flights to Guatemala City and Panama City also imply increased options for connecting flights to other regional destinations under code shares with local airlines. Thus Iberia offer daily flights to Managua from San Jose and Miami; to San Salvador from San Jose (daily), and starting in January will offer five weekly flights from Guatemala, as well as daily flights from Miami, and six weekly flights from Mexico City. It will also offer four weekly flights to San Pedro Sula from San Jose, along with five weekly flights from Guatemala, and daily flights from Miami.