6 days Ago By Vyte Klisauskaite
Iberia will resume nonstop flights between Madrid Barajas International Airport (MAD) and Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) using its Airbus A321XLR, of which Iberia has been the launch operator. The news follows Iberia’s suspension of its Airbus A321XLR winter schedule to Washington DC, as well as a prolonged pause of the route overall. Initially scheduled for January 2025, the route was meant to see Airbus A321XLR service, marking the second transatlantic route for the aircraft type that joined the Iberia fleet at the end of last year.
However, the route’s resumption was then pushed to mid-March 2025, before the final restart date was set for April 12, 2025. Up To Seven Weekly Flights Iberia’s route between Madrid and Washington, DC, will resume on April 12, 2025. The airline’s Airbus A321XLR, registered as EC-OLE, will depart Madrid at 11:30 AM local time and arrive at Washington Dulles Airport (IAD) at 3:00 PM local time.
The Spanish airline plans to offer up to seven flights per week on this route, operating it year-round instead of seasonally. According to its schedule, Iberia will run six weekly flights from April through August, increasing to daily service in September and October 2025. Interestingly, the route will have a block time of 9 hours and 40 minutes, making it the longest Airbus A321XLR flight by duration and the fourth longest by distance.
Additionally, the airline acknowledged in the statement that the Airbus A321XLR now makes it possible to increase frequencies on the route. Here is what Iberia said: “Thanks to this new model, with a narrow fuselage but capable of crossing the Atlantic, Iberia increases the 4 weekly flights from 2024 and will have two additional frequencies to the US capital from April to August.” Iberia’s Airbus A321XLR Fleet Until now, Iberia had only used the Airbus A321XLR fleet for its long-haul flights from Madrid Bajaras Airport (MAD) to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS).
Flights to Boston on the Airbus A321XLR narrowbody aircraft commenced thereafter as of November 14, offering three weekly flights initially before increasing to daily as of December 15, 2024. The new aircraft type only recently entered into service with Iberia, allowing the IAG-owned airline to perform better in lower-demand markets that benefit from a lower capacity, low-risk plane. Indeed, the Airbus A321XLR allows Iberia to serve more US destinations efficiently, opening up routes that previously wouldn’t have been financially viable with larger widebody aircraft.
Currently, the airline has a total of three Airbus A321XLR narrowbodies in its fleet at an average age of 0.2 years, with five additional A321XLRs on order, according to ch-aviation data. The carrier’s Airbus A321XLRs can accommodate a total of 182 passengers in a two-class cabin layout: 14 passengers in business class 168 passengers in economy class Iberia's service between MAD and IAD will be suspended until early March 2025.
The US Remains An Important Market There is a consistent and growing demand for travel between the US and Spain, both for tourism and business. Major US cities like New York, Washington DC, Miami, and Los Angeles attract Spanish travelers, while American tourists frequently visit Madrid, Barcelona, and other parts of Spain. According to the airline, the incorporation of the Airbus A321XLR fleet into more routes connecting Spain and the US will reinforce Iberia's commitment to the United States.
In the summer season of 2025, the Spanish airline will operate 140 weekly flights between both countries, 14% more than last year, and will put a total of 1.1 million seats on the market. It is worth noting that Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) serves as a key hub for connecting passengers between the US and other parts of Europe, Latin America, and Africa.
Iberia leverages this to feed US-bound flights with connecting traffic..
