Through an official statement, the Embassy of the Kingdom of Spain in Asunción informed the National Civil Aviation Authority (DINAC) that the Spanish airline Iberia has been designated to operate regular commercial passenger and cargo flights between Spain and Paraguay.
According to our associate Aeronáutica Paraguay, this operation is framed within the 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 at DINAC, confirmed the receipt of the communication and stated that the airline will provide the start date of the services, frequencies, schedules, and equipment for the route between Madrid and Asunción, including whether there will be intermediate stops or other destinations will be covered later.
Currently, Air Europa 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, it has been a commercial success for Air Europa, the only company offering air services between the old continent and the Paraguayan capital.
It is noteworthy that Iberia is interested in returning to Paraguay. Interestingly, ???????????? (International Airlines Group), owner of Iberia, British Airways, Aer Lingus, Level, and Vueling, already owns 20% of Air Europa. In February of this year, it completed the acquisition of the remaining 80% of Air Europa’s shares, achieving total control of the Grupo Globalia airline.
Therefore, its presence in Asunción, once the acquisition is concluded, will mean that two of its brands, Iberia and Air Europa, operate simultaneously. If Iberia enters the Paraguayan market, it will be the first time in history that two Spanish airlines operate simultaneously in Paraguay, underlining the high volume of passenger traffic between both countries.
History of flights between Spain and Paraguay
The first Iberia 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 at that time, current technology allowing direct trips from Europe to South America did not exist, nor was there enough demand to justify it.
Iberia’s flights to Asunción continued until 1996, using different aircraft and stopovers, including the wide-bodied Douglas DC-10 and the small Douglas DC-9, which operated from Buenos Aires and São Paulo to connect these flights with Madrid. Iberia never made direct flights from Madrid to Asunción.
Another question to be resolved is which aircraft will be used for the Madrid – Asunción route. Iberia operates long-haul Airbus A330-200, A330-300, and A350-900XWB aircraft. Company announcements will be awaited.
Undoubtedly, Iberia’s return (or will it be its low-cost subsidiary, LEVEL?) to Paraguay will be a significant milestone for the country’s connectivity. In addition, it will further strengthen Iberia’s leadership position in Latin America by adding one more market with its own operation.
