Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana. The national airline of
Spain, founded in 1927 with a single
Rochrback Rolland aircraft flying between
Madrid and
Barcelona. It was the first airline in
Europe to fly to
South America (1946), offer
shuttle service (1974), and offer
frequent flyer miles (1991).
The airline was privatized in 2001 and is now a member of oneworld, along with its regional subsidiary Air Nostrum. Caja Madrid owns 10 percent of Iberia; oneworld airline British Airways, 9 percent; oneworld airline American Airlines, 1 percent.
Iberia operates a fleet of 187 aircraft, which include 55 Airbus A320s, 37 McDonnell Douglas MD-80s, 18 Boeing 757s, 17 Airbus A340s, and 8 Boeing 747s.
IB's international gateways are Madrid and Barcelona. In North America, they serve New York, Miami, Dallas, and Chicago. In Britain, they serve London and Manchester.