Digital Aviation, Sp.- On August 3, 1954, Iberia made its first flight between Madrid and New York aboard a Super Constellationmarking the beginning of a transatlantic connection that has evolved significantly over the past 70 years. To commemorate this milestone, Andrés Iwasaki, Iberia long-haul Cabin Crew, surprised customers on flight IB6251 on Saturday, August 3, 2024, with a special performance of Frank Sinatra’s song “New York, New York.”
From three weekly flights to two daily flights
The inaugural flight of the Super Constellation “Santa Maria” lasted 15 hours due to adverse weather conditions, although the usual flight duration was between nine and ten hours. This aircraft, which had capacity for 19 passengers in first class and 55 in economy, marked the beginning of three weekly flights between the two cities, with tickets costing $436 in first class and $334 in economy. Today, Iberia offers two daily flights between Madrid and New York, with tickets from €234 in economy and €1,486 in business per leg, buying a round trip.
Sustained growth
In its first five months of operation, Iberia carried nearly 2,000 passengers on the Madrid-New York route. The following year, the figure rose to 7,300 passengers, and by 1979, the airline had already transported more than 2.2 million people on this route. The incorporation of the Super Constellations was crucial in opening regular routes to the other side of the Atlantic, also connecting with Havana and Buenos Aires.
Iberia in New York today
Iberia currently operates this route with modern Airbus 350-900 aircraft, which are 30 to 35 percent more fuel efficient than their predecessors and can carry up to 348 passengers in three cabins: business, premium economy and economy. In 2024, Iberia has put on sale nearly 435,000 seats to fly between Madrid and New York, and in total, 1.7 million seats to travel between Spain and eight destinations in the United States, including Miami, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, Dallas Fort Worth, San Francisco and Washington.
