Iberia Targets Growth Over Pre-Pandemic Levels To Puerto Rico

In a statement released on December 2, 2021, Spanish national flag carrier Iberia said it had decided to increase its number of flights to Puerto Rico for next summer. The Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD)-based airline says that it will add one more flight a week totaling five flights a week between Spain and the Caribbean island.

Iberia A330-200
Iberia will use an Airbus A330-200 for the Madrid to San Juan flights. Photo: Iberia

The increase in capacity on the route will add more than 84,000 seats between the months of April and October. According to Iberia’s statement, this represents 25% more capacity than they had on the route in 2019 before the pandemic. Iberia says that the additional flight shows the airline’s commitment to the Spanish-speaking world. It also shows how determined Iberia is to reinforce its role as a leading airline throughout Latin America.

Greater connectivity

During the winter, Caribbean islands like Purto Rico offer a warm-weather escape for Europeans looking for winter sunshine. Because of this, Puerto Rico is inviting all year round, which is why during the winter (October to March), Iberia is offering four flights a week between Madrid and San Juan.

San,Juan,,Puerto,Rico
Puerto Rico is an American territory with a population of 3.2 million. Photo: Iberia

The increase in frequencies is being done to allow the 3.2 million people who call Puerto Rico home to visit Spain or connect with Iberia to other destinations in Europe.
The flight schedules will be:

  • Iberia flight number IB6301 will depart Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 16:15 and arrive in Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) at 18:45. The flight will operate on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.
  • Iberia flight number IB6300 will depart Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport (SJU) at 20:20 and arrive in Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) at 10:30.The flight will operate on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday.

On the route, Iberia will deploy one of its 19 Airbus A330-200s. The aircraft is configured for 288 passengers, 19 in business class and 269 in economy.

Arriving passengers can connect to more than 90 destinations

The Madrid to San Juan route is also part of Iberia’s business agreement with American Airlines, British Airways, and Finnair. by adding an additional flight per week, Iberia aims to improve connectivity between the United States territory and Europe. Any passenger from Puerto Rico arriving in Madrid can connect from Terminal 4 to the over 90 destinations Iberia serves in Europe. Within the agreement between Iberia and The Company of Tourism of Puerto Rico, the Spanish airline will promote Puerto Rico as a tourist destination.

The agreement will see Iberia promoting Puerto Rico on the airline’s inflight entertainment channel, Ronda magazine, and social media.

When speaking about the cooperation in Iberia’s statement, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Carlos Mercado Santiago said:

“We are extremely satisfied with the results of the commercial alliance between the Tourism Company and the Iberia airline. Just months after reactivating the direct route from San Juan – Madrid, today we are pleased to announce the increase in frequency to a total of five direct flights per week for the summer season. These numbers go above the pre-pandemic operations, which will promote the strengthening of the tourism industry and the economic development of Puerto Rico.”

Iberia A330
Iberia will promote tourism in Puerto Rico. Photo: Iberia

Jorge Hernández , CEO Aerostar added :
“Madrid is an important connection point between Puerto Rico and the rest of Europe and one of the preferred European destinations for Puerto Ricans. This new air frequency expands connectivity, giving our travelers more options. We welcome you to this new flight, which we are sure will be very successful.”

What do you think about five flights a week to Puerto Rico from Madrid? Please tell us your thoughts in the comments.



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