Iberia has begun its direct daily service from the Spanish capital to Doha, with the inaugural flight taking off yesterday from Madrid Barajas International airport.
The daily flights are operated by A330-200 aircraft configured with 288 seats in business and economy classes.
Flight times are as follows:
IB 6701 Madrid-Doha, departs 0830 and arrives at 1735
IB 6700 Doha-Madrid, departs 0055 and arrives at 0710
The new flights will complement Qatar Airways’ twice-daily operations, with the combined schedule offering morning, afternoon and evening departures for travellers between the two capital cities – as well as hundreds of onward connections in each hub.
We first reported on the route over the summer period, when Iberia joined BA and Qatar Airways joint business partnership.
Iberia joins British Airways and Qatar Airways joint venture
Members of British Airways Executive Club, Iberia Plus, and Qatar Airways Privilege Club will be able to collect and spend using Avios as the common currency, following Qatar Airways’ decision to adopt Avios as its reward currency last year.
The new route is the result of an agreement between Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid and Iberia, and is estimated to generate an economic impact for the Madrid region of €55 million in the first year of operation.
Fernando Candela, Iberia’s CEO, commented:
“The daily flight between Madrid and Doha is not just the launch of a new route, which is always exciting. It goes further. We connect Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with Spain and Europe, which offers multiple options to increase and diversify Spanish connectivity with those regions, for both leisure and business.”
CCO at Qatar Airways, Thierry Antinori, added:
“Taking off into a new era of aviation connectivity for Spain, we are delighted to welcome Iberia to Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as “Best Airport in the Middle East” for the ninth time.
“As part of the unique partnership between Qatar Airways, British Airways, and Iberia, passengers can enjoy the best service on the ground and in the air, while seamlessly connecting to their favourite destinations. This further bolsters Qatar as a destination of choice in the region, and Hamad International Airport as a global connector and one of the largest gateways in the oneworld alliance with 10 of the 13 members operating there by 2024.”
Last month Iberia also outlined plans for long-haul transatlantic services next summer, including a record 328 weekly flights to Latin America.
