- Iberia pilots back expansion deal for Iberia Express
- Around 60pc of mainline pilots voted in favour
- Eight additional aircraft to join fleet between 2028 and 2030
- Deal creates 240 direct jobs and 105 captain promotions
- Agreement formalised on 25 September 2026
Iberia and its low-cost subsidiary, Iberia Express, have ratified a major labour agreement with the Spanish pilots’ union SEPLA. This open-ended framework resolves previous operational standoffs and paves the way for short- and medium-haul expansion at their Madrid-Barajas hub. Around 60pc of the mainline pilots voted in favour, following stronger support from Express crews. The agreement was formalised on 25 September 2026.
The agreement guarantees the addition of eight extra aircraft to the short- and medium-haul network between 2028 and 2030. These planes will be deployed on top of the growth already scheduled under Iberia’s broader €6bn Flight Plan 2030 strategy. Six will go to Iberia Express and two to the main airline. The expansion will create 240 direct new positions, consisting of 80 new pilot roles and 160 cabin crew members.
The pact unlocks a total of 105 promotions to captain across both flight decks, providing 69 promotions within mainline Iberia and 36 within Iberia Express. By restructuring the working and operational relationships between the mainline carrier and its budget arm, the deal settles long-running tensions over cost-sharing and growth distribution within International Airlines Group. The deal strengthens Madrid’s hub competitiveness and ends years of uncertainty over the low-cost carrier’s growth.
