23 Special Repatriation Flights and More than 100 Tonnes of Medical Supplies

• In recent days Iberia has operated special repatriation flights to Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Morocco, Japan, Panama, Peru, Poland, Dominican Republic, Senegal, and Uruguay.

• The airline has also made seven flights to Shanghai to pick up medical supplies arrange in collaboration with the public and private sectors.

• From its own stocks Iberia has donated 9,000 duvets, 2,200 pillows with cases, 5,500 hospital gowns and 20,000 toilet kits including toothbrush, toothpaste, comb, socks, etc.

• It has also loaned airport handling equipment to the Barcelona convention centre to assist in the setting up of a new hospital, and has donated 500 duvets and 540 toilet kits.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, Iberia has operated a total of 23 repatriation flights to/from Algeria, Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador, Japan, Morocco, Panama, Peru, Poland, Dominican Republic, Senegal, and Uruguay, with the support of Spain’s Foreign Ministry and the diplomatic missions to Spain of the respective countries. These flights have enabled more than 6,000 people to reach their homes.

In addition, since the state of emergency was declared in Spain in mid-March, more than 70,000 people have travelled in scheduled Iberia flights to countries around the world, including the US, Mexico, Cuba, Costa Rica, Brazil, and Chile.

Medical Supplies from China

Iberia is also taking part in public-private sector collaborative schemes to bring medical supplies to Spain from China.

• With the Spanish Federation of Health Technology Companies (FENIN), and the high-technology Oesía Group, Iberia has already operated five flights and the airline has programmed three flights each week to Shanghai.
• Alongside the clothing maker Inditex, Iberia made a flight to Shanghai for medical supplies and another to Tokyo to pick up stranded Europeans wanting to return home.
• In cooperation with the Spanish government, this past week Iberia made one flight to Shanghai to bring back respirators, face masks, and protective personal equipment (PPE) for Spanish hospitals.

Iberia is carrying out all these operations in collaboration with its sister company IAG Cargo, responsible for coordination with both freight forwarders and handling teams in Shanghai and Madrid airports.

In addition to cargo operations, Iberia has picked up from Brussels and Munich 34 respirators donated by small businesses for the intensive care units of five Madrid hospitals.

Donations to hospitals

In collaboration with its own Mano a Mano international relief organisation and its ENVERA work centre from the disabled, along with Madrid regional health agencies and the ALAER logistics company, Iberia has donated the following goods to anti-COVID-19 efforts:

• Some 9,000 duvets, 2,200 pillows with cases, and 20,000 toilet kits with toothbrush, toothpaste, combs, socks, etc. to the field hospital being set up in the Madrid IFEMA convention centre. 

• More than 5,000 disposable paper gowns from its own medical service unit to Madrid Gregorio Marañón hospital.

• Supplied by Iberia’s Mano a Mano NGO, 1,400 barrier gowns to the Gregorio Marañón hospital.

Iberia has also loaned airport handling equipment to assist in the setting up of a new hospital in the Barcelona Fira convention centre, and has donated 500 duvets and 540 toilet kits for this hospital.

At a particularly difficult period for the airline business, Iberia and its staff are committed to continuing to serve the country and to lend support to the people who need it most.