I haven't read anything about Iberia on here of late. It seems Iberia is staying low. No news is good news but does anyone have latest insights on Iberia?
r2rho From Germany, joined Feb 2007, 2248 posts, RR: 1 Reply 3, posted (10 months 2 days 8 hours ago) and read 1323 times:
Quoting September11 (Thread starter): I haven't read anything about Iberia on here of late. It seems Iberia is staying low. No news is good news but does anyone have latest insights on Iberia?
Well, IB Express should be progressively taking over more and more domestic routes, the A333's are due next year I believe, the newer A340's are getting a cabin upgrade soon (or perhaps already happening) ...
Otherwise no major new things happening, IB is indeed staying low, with no expansion either in progress or planned. They are concentrating on optimizing their existing ops and making short-haul profitable.
jumpjets From United Kingdom, joined Apr 2012, 471 posts, RR: 0 Reply 4, posted (10 months 2 days 7 hours ago) and read 1195 times:
Quoting r2rho (Reply 3): They are concentrating on optimizing their existing ops and making short-haul profitable
I dont think the existing IB produce/service - especially long haul - is up to scratch when compared to the other EU majors, so a period of consolidation and focus on bringing what they do have up to a better standard is IMHO time well spent. Once they have a product that people really want to try, then they can go with more expansion.
Hopefully the A333s arriving will herald a new era of in flight service. [fingers crossed].
Talaier From Spain, joined May 2008, 490 posts, RR: 0 Reply 5, posted (10 months 2 days 5 hours ago) and read 989 times:
Everything is pretty much on standstill as mentioned above until the conflict with cabin crew (FAs and pilots) is over. There was a compulsory arbitrage on the conflict in June which IB is trying to modify in the courts. The final ruling is due after the summer (Sept./Oct.). Once that ruling is out the arbitrage,in whatever form it comes out, is definitive and cannot be changed nor appealed. This will then settle the new cost structure of the airline and establish IBEx standing within the group. Currently IBEx pilots and IB pilots need to be on the same boat, with pilots starting in IBEx and moving up to IB mainline throughout the years.
As per what I've heard from insiders, there are rumours of a massive redundancy scheme after such ruling, which will essentially dismiss pretty much most of IB's legacy staff (along with their salaries). I would imagine this depends on how favourable the ruling comes out for IB but in any case it will be tough. Given IB has been running losses for a few months, Spanish law would allow IB to dismiss them at a very attractive cost. IAG wants the unions out and IBEx to take over a larger share of short haul routes and move the existing short haul staff over to long haul positions at a lower cost under new salary conditions. As brave as this might sound, the market is not short of FAs and pilots after Spanair's demise and the ability to build up a new labour force in a short period of time is pretty much at hand. Everything is still very much on the works though.
Aside from this, there have been a couple of new route announcements in Africa (Accra and Nouakchott) as well as IBEx's expansion. Given this, I would not rule out a couple of extra long haul destinations. Cabin upgrades and 330s are due in for rollout next year.
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