Iberia has announced plans to launch non-stop services between Shanghai and Madrid during the next winter season.

Luis Gallego, the airline’s Executive Chairman, said “Iberia is proud to announce plans to fly between Shanghai and Madrid. We are not only linking two great metropolis with our most modern aircraft and most comfortable cabins but we are also encouraging tourism, trade, and cultural exchanges. In addition, through our Madrid hub we are also connecting Shanghai with the rest of Spain, Europe, North Africa, and Latin America.”

The airline expects to begin operations during the 2016/2017 winter season, and it has started negotiations with the Chinese authorities to request the necessary permits.

Iberia plans to stage three weekly return flights between Shanghai and Spain to meet growing demand for travel in both directions.

The number of Chinese visitors to Spain grew by nearly 66% in 2015 alone.

Madrid is not only the Spanish capital but is also located at the geographical centre of the country, with easy access to other destinations and Spain and other European countries. Madrid is known for being a good destination for both business and tourist travellers alike due to its museums, life style, sport events, gastronomy and shops.

Incoming passengers from Shanghai will have good connections to Iberia’s other 29 destinations in Spain, such as Barcelona, with 20 daily flights, and Bilbao, Alicante, Malaga, Seville, and Granada, to name only a few. Iberia also flies to 59 European cities such as Lisbon Paris, Rome, Berlin, London, Brussels, and Zurich. There will be convenient connections to Iberia’s destinations in Latin America, like Buenos Aires, Mexico City, Montevideo, Santiago de Chile, and São Paulo. 

The aircraft to operate the Madrid-Shanghai route is Iberia’s most modern, the Airbus A330-200, a twin-engine, wide-bodied plane, equipped with newly designed cabins with a capacity for 288 passengers, 19 in Business and 269 in Economy.

Iberia, founded in 1927, is Spain’s main airline and also leader in flights between Europe and Latin America, where its has been flying for the past 70 years. In recent years the company has upgraded its long-haul passenger cabins and services, while opening new routes, acquiring new aircraft (13 Airbus A330-200s and 16 A350-900s), and launching a new brand image and new products to improve service to passengers. In 2015, Iberia was the most punctual airline in Europe’s and the second most punctual in the world, according to industry monitor Flightstats.

About Iberia: Iberia is the leading carrier on routes between Europe and Latin  America and it flies to more than 126 destinations in 49 countries. Together with its subsidiary Iberia Express and its franchise partner Iberia Regional/Air Nostrum, it operates about 600 flights each day with a fleet of 135 aircraft. It offers easy and convenient connections at its hub in T4 in Madrid-Barajas airport. Iberia was Europe’s most punctual airline and second in the world in 2015, according to Flightstats. The airline is a member of the oneworld alliance that operates more than 14,000 daily flights to some 1,000 destinations in more than 150 countries. For more information, please visit http://grupo.iberia.es