Iberia Has alleviated its fleet-capacity shortfall in the near term by signing a franchise agreement with its Spanish rival Air Europa, while at the same time delaying its planned acquisition of new aircraft.
Iberia has been wet-leasing two Boeing 757s from Air Europa for the past six months, along with aircraft from Air Atlanta and BCM Airlines. The new deal will mean that 11 more Boeings - three 737-400s, six 757s and two 767-300ERs - will be operated by Air Europa on Iberia's summer 1998 services, the latter type being used to serve Chicago from Madrid.
Air Europa had been among a group of Spanish independent airlines in a dispute with the Spanish Government over slot shortages at Madrid and Barcelona. The airline had claimed that the Government had been assisting state-run Iberia by restricting slot allocation to other carriers.
Air Europa's managing director, Juan Saez, says that it proved impossible to overcome the slot limitations, and has now signed an initial franchise agreement "which could be expanded further".
Meanwhile, Iberia says that it no longer has the urgent need to finalise its planned order to replace its ageing fleet of Boeing 727s and McDonnell Douglas DC-9s (the latter operated by Aviaco), which had been expected soon. The size of the contract, however, has been widened from the original 50-aircraft total to 70 units.
Iberia also says that it will take delivery "in the coming months" of four more McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s, inherited as part of its shareholding in now-defunct Venezuelan carrier Viasa and which have been in storage in Caracas. Iberia has four of its own DC-10-30s operating alongside its four Airbus A340-300s on long-haul routes, but it says that the fate of the four extra aircraft is not determined. "We may operate the DC-10s, or sell them," it says.
Source: Flight International
