Iberia Repatriates More than 6,000 People on Special Flights and Opens Medical Supply Air Corridor to China

• With a total of more than 20 special repatriation flights to Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Panama, Peru, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Senegal, Algeria, and Uruguay. 
• In addition, on regular flights it has transported some 70,000 people since the outbreak of the pandemic
• Iberia is also combating the crisis by carrying tonnes of medical supplies and in coming days will operate four flights bringing only cargo from China.  
• The airline has donated 9,000 duvets, 2,200 pillows with cases, 5,500 hospital gowns, along with 20,000 toilet kits with toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, combs, etc. to hospitalised coronavirus victims. 

More than 6,000 people are returning home on Iberia’s special repatriation flights, organised in collaboration with Spain’s Foreign Ministry and the Madrid embassies and consulates of numerous countries. 

Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 crisis , Iberia has made repatriation flights from Madrid to Argentina, Ecuador, Colombia, Japan, Peru, Poland, the Dominican Republic, Senegal, and Uruguay, and is soon to operate flights to Panama and Algeria, as well as additional flights to Argentina, Ecuador, and Peru, pending approval by the respective governments. 

If it receives all the authorisations required, Iberia will make a total of 20 special flights to take some 6,000 people home, including Spaniards stranded abroad, and foreigners in Spain. 

Meanwhile, since the state of alarm was declared Iberia has carried more than 70,000 passengers on regular flights, especially to the US, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Chile.

Medical Air Corridor between Spain, China, and Japan

To help bring medical supplies where they are needed, Iberia is flying A350s between Madrid and Shanghai, and Madrid and Tokyo: 

• In cooperation with the Spanish medical technology company association FENIN and the Oesía high technology group, it has scheduled three return flights to Shanghai which will land in Madrid on 30-31 March and 1 April with a total of 90 tonnes of medical supplies. Subsequently it will continue to operate three such flights per week. 
• With the Spanish clothing maker Inditex, Iberia will operate –pending permission– another special flight to Shanghai on 28 March and one to Tokyo on 31 March. The Shanghai flight is to pick up medical supplies, while the Tokyo flight is to retrieve Spaniards who want to return home. 
• Iberia has also fetched 23 respirators from Brussels and Munich which were acquired by some small businessmen to supplement the intensive care units of five Madrid hospitals. 

Donations to hospitals 

Iberia has also donated material to Spanish hospitals, both individually and in collaboration with its employee-supported emergency relief NGO “Mano a Mano”, the ENVERA NGO for the disabled, the Madrid regional government health and civil defence agencies, and the logistics company ALAER. 

• From its own supplies Iberia donated 9,000 duvets, 2,200 pillows with cases, and 20,000 toilet kits to the giant field hospital now being installed in the IFEMA exhibition and convention centre halfway between Madrid and the Madrid-Barajas airport. The kits include toothbrushes, toothpaste, socks, combs, etc.  
• Iberia also donated more that 5,000 disposable hospital gowns from its own medical service to Madrid’s Gregorio Marañón hospital. The “Mano a Mano” group donated an additional 1,400 barrier gowns to the hospital.

Iberia’s Corporate Manager Juan Cierco commented, “We at Iberia want to join in the fight against the spread of COVID-19 in every way we can. As an airline, at this difficult time we can help people reach their homes, and also help speed the delivery of the supplies needed by our hospitals."

Iberia has expressed its gratitude to all its employees for their loyalty to the company and to its customers, and most especially those who have remained on the job and are making the repatriation flights possible.