Spain’s national airline, Iberia has added a quartet of winter-oriented routes to its Madrid hub, marking a significant expansion just as the festive season begins. From November 30 through December 1, the airline started flights to Rovaniemi, Salzburg, Innsbruck, and Tromsø. These routes promote winter tourism, including countries that celebrate Christmas, winter sports, and other winter-related activities.
Madrid-Tromsø: A Record-Breaking Route
Among the four new additions, Madrid-Tromsø stands out as Iberia’s longest European route. Spanning 1,892 nautical miles (3,504 km) each way, it surpasses all other European routes the airline has operated in the past two decades. Flights to Tromsø, located within the Arctic Circle, will run twice weekly until March 2, operated by Airbus A320ceo aircraft.
Here are the new routes in detail:
Madrid-Rovaniemi
- It resumed on November 30 after being flown in February 2024.
- Operates four times weekly in December and reduces to twice weekly until March 1.
- Flown on Airbus A320 aircraft.
Madrid-Salzburg
- New to Iberia’s network and launched on November 30.
- Operates twice weekly on Airbus A320ceo aircraft until March 26.
- Known for its proximity to ski resorts and charming Christmas markets.
Madrid-Innsbruck
Innsbruck also handles large quantities of winter sports tourists. It was established in late November and is co-source with Iberia since the beginning of March last year.
Madrid-Tromsø:
- Inaugurated on December 1 as Iberia’s longest European route.
- Operates twice weekly on Airbus A320ceo aircraft until March 2.
Seasonal Routes Around Christmas
In addition to these networks, Iberia has also brought back a few domestic flights for the festive period. Such places include Badajoz to Palma de Mallorca, Barcelona to Strasbourg, and Valladolid to Tenerife North operated by Iberia Regional’s CRJ1000 aircraft. These routes are for a short period most suitable for passengers within the Christmas and New Year period.
Strategic Growth of Iberia
The new additions of these routes demonstrate the goals of Iberia where there is winter demand for tourists and travelers to further expose both popular and less popular destinations. The A321XLR is now available on internal networks such as the Madrid-Washingtonline, which allows Iberia to better utilize its fleet for improved efficiency.
Iberia has also extended its network to make it more attractive as a European carrier during the winter months, when most people go on holidays to warm destinations. Whether it’s skiing in the Alpine region or looking for the northern lights in the Arctic region, Spanish airlines, Iberia in particular, now have new alternatives for wintertime adventurers.
