Through an official communiqué, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Asunción informed the National Directorate of Civil Aeronautics (DINAC) that the Spanish airline Iberia had been designated to operate scheduled commercial passenger and cargo flights between Spain and Paraguay.
According to Aeronáutica Paraguay, this operation is framed in article 3 of the Air Transport Agreement, signed on May 12, 1976, between the Kingdom of Spain and the Republic of Paraguay.
No additional details were provided in the communication.
Douglas Cubilla, Director of Airports of DINAC, confirmed receipt of the communication and stated that the airline would inform the start date of services, frequencies, schedules, and equipment for the route between Madrid and Asunción.
Whether there will be intermediate stopovers or other destinations will be covered at a later date.
Air Europa currently offers daily direct flights from Madrid to Asunción, extending to Córdoba (Argentina), using state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft.
The connection was established in 2015 and, to date, has been a commercial success for Air Europa, the only company offering air services between the old continent and the Paraguayan capital.
It is worth noting that Iberia is interested in returning to Paraguay.
Interestingly, IAG (International Airlines Group), owner of Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Level, and Vueling, already owns 20% of Air Europa.
It acquired 80% of Air Europa’s shares in February, gaining full control of the Globalia Group’s airline.
Therefore, its presence in Asunción, once the acquisition is completed, will mean that two of its brands, Iberia and Air Europa, will operate simultaneously.
If Iberia enters the Paraguayan market, it will be the first time in history that two Spanish airlines operate simultaneously in Paraguay, highlighting the high volume of passenger traffic between the two countries.
HISTORY OF FLIGHTS BETWEEN SPAIN AND PARAGUAY
Iberia’s first flight to Asunción took place on July 1, 1966.
At that time, the flight departed from Madrid with stopovers in Tenerife (Canary Islands), Rio de Janeiro, and São Paulo (Brazil) using Douglas DC-8 aircraft, with a weekly frequency.
It is important to note that the technology that allowed direct travel from Europe to South America did not exist at that time, nor was there sufficient demand to justify it.
Iberia flights to Asunción continued until 1996, using different aircraft and stopovers, including the wide-body Douglas DC-10 and the smaller Douglas DC-9, which operated from Buenos Aires and São Paulo to connect these flights with Madrid.
Iberia never operated direct flights from Madrid to Asunción.
Another question to be resolved is which aircraft will be used for the Madrid – Asunción route.
Iberia operates Airbus A330-200, A330-300, and A350-900XWB long-haul aircraft.
We will have to wait for the company’s announcements.
Undoubtedly, the return of Iberia (or will it be its low-cost subsidiary, LEVEL?) to Paraguay will be an important milestone for the country’s connectivity.
In addition, it will further strengthen Iberia’s leadership position in Latin America by adding one more market to its operation.
With information from Aviacionline
News Paraguay, English news Paraguay, Iberia flight to Asunción
Key Facts
— Deep Dive
— For the complete picture, read our in-depth guide: Paraguay: Washington's Most Valued Ally in Latin America
Read More from The Rio Times