Iberia boosts Puerto Rico as holiday destination

Editor -

  • Flights from Madrid to San Juan to be resumed next March

  • During the period of highest demand --4 June to 6 August-- Iberia will operate five weekly return flights, up from last year’s three.

  • Iberia and the Puerto Rico Tourism Authority will work together in 2018 to promote the island in all Iberia’s markets.

Iberia will boost its Puerto Rico flights in 2018. From the 26 March to the 26 October, it will resume its non-stop route from Madrid to San Juan with three return flights a week, though from 4 June to 6 August, the Spanish airline will operate five weekly flights. A total of 62,208 seats will be available on the route next year, a 24% increase from 2017.

The flights are timed to offer easy and convenient same-day connections for San Juan-bound customers from 23 cities in Spain and 30 in the rest of Europe and Africa.

Iberia and the Puerto Rican Tourism Authority will partner in a joint campaign promoting tourism to the island in all the cities served by Iberia.

Iberia’s Chief Commercial Officer, Marco Sansavini observed that “Puerto Rico is one of Iberia’s iconic destinations with an immense potential which we want all our customers to know about. In 2018, we will resume our flights to San Juan with renewed strength and a 24% capacity increase. This shows our commitment to the island and our confidence in its rapid recovery from the devastation of hurricane Maria.”

Puerto Rico governor, Ricardo Rosselló, says: “We would like to express our gratitude to the airline for trusting Puerto Rico and increasing its flights. It will be Iberia’s biggest capacity increase to San Juan in more than a decade”

Puerto Rico Tourism Authority executive director, José Izquierdo, commented: “We are very pleased that Iberia is raising the frequency of its flights to Puerto Rico in the next summer season, allowing thousand more people from Spain and the rest of Europe to enjoy our island’s many charms. We’re grateful for Iberia’s confidence in Puerto Rico as a tourist destination”.

Iberia launched its Madrid-San Juan flights in July, 1949. In May, 2016, after a three-year interruption, it resumed its service with three weekly non-stop flights during the summer season. In 2017, Iberia carried 26.75% more passengers than in the year before. Flights from/to Rome, London, Paris, Tel Aviv, Santiago de Compostela, Lisbon, Asturias and Valencia brought the most connecting traffic to Iberia’s Puerto Rico frequencies in 2017.

The Spanish airline recently delivered 2,400 kg. of humanitarian relief material to the island following the hurricane in September. Puerto Rico was also honoured at the exhibition marking the 90th anniversary of Iberia’s founding, at Madrid Conde Duque Culture Centre