It is añO 2018, specíphysically the 8 of November, Iberia celebrates 50 añflying them to Ecuador, connected to país with the main destinations in Europe and the world from its main HUB at Madrid International Airport. Hereí I present to you the story, present, destinations and fleet of the main airlineíne española.

Last 9 April in Quito, and together with the Chancellor and Ambassador for Ecuador of España, the airínea Iberia celebró are 50 anniversary of operations in the país of the «Half of the world», which you currently fly with 6 weekly flights on the Madrid route – Quito – Madrid after having eliminated the traditional triangulación with Guayaquil since the end of March 2017.

On this important anniversary of half a century, the airínea ratifies its commitment to Ecuador and to continue being the airlineínea líder in connections for Ecuadorians with the world and its strategies areán aiming to solidify its operationón and do against the competition in a market that every dayía becomes más attractive for the arrival of new aerosolídenies from several países of the world.

History of Iberia in Ecuador

Iberia – Líneas Aéareas of Spainña, S. A. Unipersonal Operator (THERE IT IS: ICAO IB: IBE), operates in Ecuador from toñO 1968. A díto friday 8 november ago 50 añrealizes themó its first landing in Quito covering the Madrid route at that time – Quito – Santiago and return with the first jet planesón of the aerolíne the Douglas DC-8 series 63.

Initially, these flights operated with 3 weekly flights onías lunes, miércholes and fridays.

back then, the airínea had Douglas DC-8 aircraft in its fleet, Douglas DC-10 y Boeing 747, which landed in Quito carrying out, themselvesún la surgeryónumber and type of aircraftón one or two scales given the autonomyíto the aircraft of the élittle. It is worth remembering that Iberia's first destination in the regionóIt was not Buenos Aires.

The main grandfatherón day of surgeryón in Quito was the planeón Douglas DC-10 and after the first route with final destination Santiago de Chile, in the AñO 1992, the route operated between Madrid – Santo Domingo in RepúDominican War and Quito, but I connectedón it was not attractive or profitable.

With the growing market and positioning of the airlineínea in Ecuador and Latin Americaérica, the airínea was increasing its flight frequencies to all its destinations, where it was includedó Ecuador thanks to its geographical importanceáfic and growing demand for tourismístic, which later beídriven by the high migratory flow between both nations.

For 1996, Iberia enters a new era, incorporating new long-haul aircraft, which does not requireían más of t scaleséintermediate conical lines between Madrid and América, what I allowedó adjust your offer and even reach new markets, your product becameó aún más attractive. The 29 from February this toñO, the first Airbus A340-300 baptized «Thorn Shell» joinó to the fleet, what I allowedó to the airínea start offering point-to-point flights.

With these new planes, más efficient, with greater capacity and technologyíto tip, in december 1997 Iberia startedó to fly to Quito with 3 weekly flights and joinedó to Guayaquil to your destination list, since given the height of the Former Quito Mariscal Sucre Airport and its short track, flights to Europe could notístill be carried out directly and thusí startó the famous triangulación between Madrid, Quito and Guayaquil.

During theñO 1998 and thanks to market studies carried out, the airíyou won't approveón from Madrid to start the fifth frequency towards Quito and Guayaquil. The challengeíor for the airíThe goal was to continue growing in Ecuador and the desire to have a daily flight connecting Madrid with Ecuador came true.ó finally at the beginning of 1999 y así Iberia startedó to fly every dayíace of the week from Madrid Airport – Barajas.

For purposes of 1999, given demand and positive núheritage, the Ecuador base achievedó you approveón to operate 8 weekly flights. This additional flight was carried out onías sábadass, spaghettién on the Airbus A340-300.

With the high migratory flow of those toñfrom Ecuador to Europe in general, the airínea already had in its fleet the mostás large incorporated from the toñO 2003, Airbus A340-600 aircraft, natural replacement for -300, with a capacity to 346 passengers, back then in 2 lessons. These new planes were put to fly to Quito to increase their supply and meet the growing demand..

In the following 10 años, the operationón of Iberia stabilizesó in Ecuador, The eighth frequency was reduced as new competitors arrived on the market and the migratory flow began.ó to gradually reduce.

After the opening of the New Quito Airport, in the AñO 2013, the operationón of Iberia beganó to change in Ecuador. With the new operating facilitiesón of a lower altitude airport and a m runwayás long, Iberia becameó in the first airícompany in operating directly between Quito and Europe with 3 direct weekly flights, the others 4 weekly continued to operate in a triangular fashion. In this season, for the first time tooén operó in Ecuador the avión Airbus A330.

At the end of March 2017, Iberia tomó I decided itón to close its base in Guayaquil and focus operations exclusively in Quito, where you currently fly with 6 weekly flights, except on fridays, with their Airbus A340-600 aircraft, única aerolínea that thanks to the capacity and power of the 4 engines 4x RR Trent 500 You can make this direct flight from a high altitude and hot airport (high & hot).

Iberia news in Ecuador

Para is añO 2018, Iberia offerá near 225.000 seats between Quito and Madrid, what a represents 8% más of seats on the route that the 2017 and additionally offers, a wide network of connections from Quito thanks to the alliance with LATAM Ecuador to Cuenca, Guayaquil and the Gal Islandsápaid y más allá from Madrid with más de 100 destinations in Europe, Áfear, Middle East and Asia.

As we mentioned in páprevious paragraph, Iberia is the única aerolínea that flies direct to Europe from Quito. Their 17 Airbus aircraft 340-600 have proven to be the único avión, for now, in having the abilityéconscientious about operating directly and safely in case of péengine speed for power «go out» from Quito without problems and with all the full tickets to Madrid.

With this opportunity and thanks to the más de 480 thousand Ecuadorians living in Spainñto and near 60 thousand spyñOles living in Ecuador, the airínea has managed to maintain high númere occupationón with about the 80% on average and sustained growth. Within the framework of the celebrationón of 50 añthe airíwhat to celebrateá during all the 2018, Iberia has taken the opportunity to officially launch its new Premium Economy class in Ecuador, which brings a refined service for those people looking to pay a little moreás for superior service to Económica e inferior a Business, but with great advantages.

The new cabin offers más space, greater comfort and better service on board and preferential treatment at Madrid airport. These new 23 seating, that now allow Iberia to offer 3 classes and options, offer a 20% máwith de separationón between rows (94 centímeters in Premium Economy versus 78,7 centímeters in Economy), seats sás wide with 48 centímeters, a 40% más of reclinationón, adjustable headrests and footrestséreclining s, 12 full HD screens″ inches, service on board with welcome drink, menú exclusive and personal grooming kit.

Among other novelties of Iberia for Ecuador within its anniversary 50, the alliance with PROEcuador stands out, that allows internationalizationón towards Europe of Ecuadorian SMEs, of which más de 8400 micro, little oneñas and medium-sized companies canán benefit from discounts of up to 10% in tickets and accumulationón of points within the On Business program.

Finally, for the 50 años, Iberia offers a discount of 50 euros on all tickets to and from Ecuador, buying the ticket during April 2018 to travel between 15 September and until 31 march 2019, entering the cóI say 50AÑOSECUADOR at the time of purchase.

destinations

The main airíne española, the más punctual in the world during the 2016 and 2017, part of the IAG group, fly to 120 destinations in 42 países, with presence in 4 continents. Of all your network, 19 They are in Latinérich to where it operates with 250 weekly flights.

Fleet

Iberia currently has a large fleet made up of 141 aircraft between Airbus A319 models, A320, A321, Airbus A330-200, -300 y Airbus A340-600. further, has an order of orders from más de 50 airplanes with which to modernizeá its fleet with the Airbus A320 and A321neo models and the one that will beá the gradual replacement of the A340s, el Airbus A350-900.

The interview

We were able to interview Marcos Sansavini, Commercial Director of Iberia, who tells us the details of the operationón of Iberia in Ecuador and the plans that the airline hasínea.

NL: ¿Cómo isá the Ecuadorian market for Iberia?

MS: The Ecuadorian market has experiencedñstrong growth in 2014 and 2015, afterés came toñthose who affected as pasó with the earthquake, now they areñthose to recoveróprogressive n. We hope for a recoveryón aún más significant prówe go toños. Many of the investments we make in improving product and capacity, with a 8% más of seats, we will have 225 thousand annual seats, the new Premium Economy seat, the agreement with PROEcuador, They are all investments that make sense within the framework of an evolutionópositive n of tráEcuadorian origin.

NL: ¿Cómo isá the operationón of Iberia to dífrom today?

MS: We operate with 6 weekly flights directly from Madrid to Quito with the Airbus A340-600.

NL: ¿There is the projectionón to operate the séoptimal frequency?

MS: Previously, teníwe love them 7 weekly flights, but they were not direct flights, teníWe have some flights with a triangular stopover to Guayaquil, which did not give the best customer experience. We have opted to operate all direct flights from Quito and on the other hand, have the cooperationón with LATAM to operate with them from Guayaquil to Madrid.

At this time we want to make sure that all the investments made, such as the Premium Tourist and the increase in 8% of seats is strengthened and thenéThe idea is to achieve the daily flight if conditions allow it and we will analyze them, but for now there is no decisionón about it.

NL: ¿CóHow Iberia handles the issue of cargo to Madrid taking into account the operationón «hot & high?

MS: It's very important, hereí we have some sectors such as productionón of Ecuadorian fruit and cocoa that are of interest in Spainñto and Europe. Flowers have great relevance for this segment.

NL: With the new Airbus A350, ¿cuál is the projectionón of these planes for Latin Americaérich as a natural replacement for the A340-600?

MS: We don't have yetíhas defined the entire development plan for this aircraftón. We must measure with the pairámeters of this avióonly hasé conditions we must operate at each airport, It is a fine work that is done in terms of the theme of the track, operationón a hot & high, for which we wait with a first destination fácil e icóunique as New York is, but the projectionón with the añThe aim is for the A350 to operate in all Airbus A340-600 destinations.

the airbus 350 is the replacement of -600 and the vocationóIt is not that this replaces, where you can, al 340-600. Keep in mind that we have orders 16 planes, for which this is the idea and other destinations.

The entry of this fleet is progressive from this toñor where they enter 2 planes up to 2023. What to allowá train all the crews and Airbus gives us a great benefit, which is the commonality of training.ónumber of pilots, this means that a pilot flying the A350, can keep flying -600. It is an issue of efficiency that allows usó choose this avión máIt's a favorable performance for us.

NL: leaving behindáIt's a little Ecuador, ¿cóhow the Latin American market has been for Iberia?

MS: It is a market that has experienced a difficult crisisícil in the úlast toños, in particular the 2016, Am's partérich latina, we are talking about brazil, Chile and Argentina, prices hit, not necessarily the volume of tráfico, since demand can be stimulated, what forcedó everyone to reduce prices a lot to maintain volumesúmens de tránecessary.

From 2017, We have seen a very important change in trend, This change has been favored thanks to the recoveryón económica from Brazil, Argentina and the positive development of Chile. While the northern part of the regionóWe have continued to develop, where we didn't see the caístrength of these markets. The 2017 for Américh Latina as a whole, it has been añor very positive for us, así As the 2016 It was añor very difficultícil. Now for this oneñor the prospects are that Latin Americaérich continue, not at the speed of 2017, but let it be anotherñthe positive.

NL: To close and returning to Ecuador, ¿cóhow Iberia sees the competition, taking into account the new aerolíline that flies from Madrid to Quito and potentially a más?

MS: This is a very important point. Iberia has experienced a transformation processón we have presented it now, deep, that allows us to be not just an airlineíline of excellence, but alsoén profitable. This allows us to compete with anyone, with low-cost model companies, with high service companies and in the end we have segmented our offer and we have from a very efficient and accessible tourist service, even a Business that has won awards and we are the airlineínea más punctual in the world.

We are ready to compete with anyone, Competition is welcome and we are going to make life very difficult for you.ícil, betting on our strengths.

We congratulate Iberia on this anniversary and thank you for your invitation.óto be part of your celebrationón.