Iberia will be the airline responsible for transporting His Holiness Pope Leo XIV during his upcoming visit to Spain, scheduled to take place from 6 to 12 June 2026.
The airline will operate the flights planned during the visit, accompanying the Pontiff on his journey through several Spanish cities. Scheduled sectors include Madrid–Barcelona, Barcelona–Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria–Tenerife, as well as the return flight from Tenerife to Rome at the conclusion of the official visit.
For this special operation, Iberia will make one of its aircraft available to the Holy See, ensuring the highest standards of safety, comfort and privacy for His Holiness, his delegation and the other accredited passengers travelling on board.
Iberia’s participation in this event reinforces the airline’s longstanding commitment to major institutional events and highlights its operational capability to coordinate flights of significant international importance.
The planned flights are as follows:
A Journey Full of Meaningful Details
As is customary on flights carrying His Holiness, Iberia has placed the Papal Coat of Arms next to the forward aircraft door through which Pope Leo XIV will board and disembark. In addition, all seats on board will feature specially designed headrest covers bearing the Vatican emblem.
For the Madrid–Barcelona flight, an image of Our Lady of Montserrat will be displayed on board. Likewise, an image of Our Lady of Candelaria will accompany the flights between Barcelona and Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, and between Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Tenerife.
A specially curated dining experience has been designed for the occasion, with every detail carefully considered to provide a service befitting this historic visit. As with all Iberia flights, the menu is inspired by the flavours of Spain and prepared daily using fresh seasonal ingredients and premium-quality produce.
Throughout the various flights, the Vatican delegation will enjoy both breakfast offerings and more complete meal services, including starter, main course and dessert, tailored to the schedule and duration of each journey. These meals will be accompanied by a carefully selected range of beverages and wines from some of Spain’s most prestigious wine regions, including Rioja, Ribera del Duero and Rueda.
Passengers will also receive the exclusive Business Class amenity kit designed by Teresa Helbig, inspired by the uniforms the renowned designer created for Iberia..
For this special occasion, the music played during boarding, take-off, landing and disembarkation will carry particular significance. The soundtrack for the journey will be provided by the Escolanía de El Escorial choir, a renowned musical institution founded in 1974 by the Augustinian monks of the Monastery of San Lorenzo de El Escorial.
Before being elected Pope, Leo XIV belonged to the Order of Saint Augustine and served for twelve years as Prior General of the Order worldwide. The Escolanía de El Escorial has, in fact, travelled to Rome on several occasions throughout its history.
During these flights, passengers will be able to enjoy a selection of pieces drawn from three of the choir’s recordings: Cantares, Místico and Panamá Viejo.
The crews accompanying His Holiness throughout his travels in Spain will be made up of Iberia volunteers, selected from among employees who expressed their enthusiasm and pride at being part of an event of such historic significance.
Iberia and Papal Visits to Spain
Iberia has a longstanding association with papal visits to Spain, facilitating both domestic journeys within the country and return flights to Rome.
In 1982, Pope John Paul II made his first historic visit to Spain, during which he travelled to 18 cities across the country. Many of these journeys were operated aboard a Boeing 727-200 named Navarra. Likewise, during his visits to Santiago de Compostela and Asturias in 1989, as well as on his return to Rome in 1993 following the conclusion of his pastoral visit to Spain, he travelled aboard a Boeing 727 named Castilla la Vieja.
Continuing this tradition, Pope Benedict XVI returned to Rome following his first visit to Spain in 2006 aboard an Airbus A321 named Villa de Uncastillo. During his second visit to Spain, Benedict XVI travelled from Santiago de Compostela to Barcelona and subsequently returned to Rome aboard the Airbus A321 Delta de Llobregat. His Holiness also flew back to Rome on an Iberia aircraft following his final visit to Spain in 2011.
About Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Journey to Spain (6–12 June 2026)
Pope Leo XIV will undertake his first major apostolic journey in Europe from 6 to 12 June 2026, at the invitation of His Majesty King Felipe VI and the Catholic Church in Spain.
The visit will include four stops: Madrid, Barcelona, Las Palmas de Gran Canaria and Santa Cruz de Tenerife. Its motto, “Lift Up Your Eyes” (John 4:35), is an invitation to society to open itself to God and to others, looking beyond immediate concerns and broadening its perspective.
In both its pastoral and social dimensions, the visit is presented as a call to move beyond indifference, to listen to one another and to rediscover the value of encounter. It is an invitation addressed to all people, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, who seek hope, dialogue and common ground in an increasingly fragmented society.
