Iberia announces new Japanese and Chinese routes

Iberia has announced two new routes from Madrid to Tokyo and Shanghai.

Flights to the Japanese capital will start on October 18, with a three-times weekly service departing Madrid on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays at 1320, landing at Tokyo’s Narita airport at 0935 the following day.

The return leg will leave Tokyo at 1120, arriving back into the Spanish capital at 1820.

The new services to Shanghai are subject to the granting of slots and permits, but Iberia aims to begin flights this winter.

There are currently no non-stop services between Spain and Japan, or between Spain and Shanghai.

Announcing the move, Luis Gallego, Iberia’s Chairman and CEO, said, “We have always wanted to be a global airline. With these routes to Tokyo and Shanghai, we take a step in that direction, while we bring closer our country to two economical and touristic powers such as Japan and China.”

Iberia said that the number of tourists visiting Spain grew by 27% between January and September 2015, compared with the same period in 2014.

Both routes will be served by Iberia’s new A330-200 aircraft (click here for more information on the aircraft), configured the carrier’s latest long-haul cabins, with 19 business class seats and 269 in its economy class.