Argentina · Aviation
Key Facts
—First flight: A Plus Ultra Airbus A330 left Madrid-Barajas on Saturday, May 23, landing at Ezeiza early Sunday after 11 hours.
—Launch fare: Round-trip seats start near $640, roughly half the route average, on a jet seating 299 in two cabins.
—Schedule ramp: Service begins at two weekly flights, doubling in July and reaching five weekly from July 12.
—Crowded corridor: Iberia plans 23 weekly flights this summer; Air Europa flies daily and Aerolineas Argentinas up to 13.
—Latin American impact: Argentina’s open-skies push is pulling Spanish carriers in, a template watched across the region.
Plus Ultra began Madrid-Buenos Aires flights on May 23, becoming the third Spanish carrier to link the two capitals and the fourth operator overall on one of the busiest air corridors between Europe and South America.
Who is flying the new Madrid-Buenos Aires flights?
An Airbus A330-200 operated the inaugural run, leaving Adolfo Suarez Madrid-Barajas on Saturday and touching down at Buenos Aires Ezeiza early Sunday after more than 11 hours. Plus Ultra has configured the aircraft for 299 passengers, with 24 business seats and 275 in economy, a layout the carrier describes as a balance of comfort and capacity.
Founded in 2011 by former Air Madrid executives, the airline already serves Bogota, Cartagena, Lima and Caracas, so Buenos Aires lifts its Latin American network to a wider footprint. Launch fares advertised near $640 round trip undercut the established carriers by close to half, a pitch aimed squarely at price-sensitive leisure and family travelers.
How fast will capacity grow on the route?
The route opens with two weekly rotations, departing Ezeiza on Thursdays and Sundays and returning from Spain on Wednesdays and Saturdays. From July the carrier doubles that to four, then adds a fifth weekly flight beginning July 12, timed to the European peak season when demand from Argentina runs highest.
The expansion arrives as the wider Spain-Argentina market adds capacity at a steep pace. By July, industry tallies put Plus Ultra at roughly 35 monthly frequencies against about 199 for Iberia, 88 for Aerolineas Argentinas and 62 for Air Europa, a sign of how concentrated and contested the corridor has become.
Why are Spanish airlines crowding into Argentina now?
The surge tracks a deliberate loosening of Argentina’s air market under President Javier Milei, whose deregulation drive cleared the way for foreign carriers to expand and to set fares without restriction. Argentine authorities formally authorized Plus Ultra through an official-bulletin disposition, the same open-skies framework that has drawn new entrants to the country’s international routes. Iberia is responding by flying the corridor entirely with its larger A350 fleet this summer and pushing Buenos Aires beyond three daily flights, a first for its long-haul network, while World2Fly, owned by Iberostar, is set to begin Madrid-Rosario service on October 1 with twin weekly A350 flights.
Frequently Asked Questions
When did Plus Ultra start flying to Buenos Aires?
The inaugural flight left Madrid on Saturday, May 23, 2026, and arrived at Ezeiza early on Sunday. Regular commercial service follows on the published twice-weekly schedule.
How much do the launch tickets cost?
Promotional fares were advertised from about $640 round trip on the Buenos Aires-Madrid leg. That is roughly half the average price charged by the route’s established carriers, though promotional seats are limited and sell out quickly.
What aircraft does Plus Ultra use on the route?
The carrier flies an Airbus A330-200 widebody on the corridor. The cabin seats 299 passengers, split between 24 business-class seats and 275 in economy.
How many flights will Plus Ultra operate?
Service starts with two weekly flights and doubles to four in July. A fifth weekly rotation is scheduled to begin on July 12, 2026, aligned with the European high season.
Which other airlines fly Madrid-Buenos Aires?
Iberia, Air Europa and Aerolineas Argentinas all serve the corridor, with Iberia planning up to 23 weekly flights this summer. World2Fly will add a Madrid-Rosario route in October, widening Spanish service to Argentina further.
Connected Coverage
The new Madrid-Buenos Aires flights connect to Argentina’s broader market opening under Milei, traced in our coverage of the Argentine market rally, and to the consumer-cost backdrop facing households in our reporting on Argentine pensions and the cost of living.
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