Iberia Launches New A321XLR Routes to Caribbean and Brazil
Iberia is set to expand its network significantly throughout 2025 by launching a new batch of routes that will be operated by its state-of-the-art Airbus A321XLR aircraft. The extra-long-range variant of the popular A321 model will serve new destinations and reinforce existing services, marking a major boost for the Spanish flag carrier’s international capacity and connectivity.
Among the new routes, Iberia will operate services connecting its Madrid-Barajas hub (MAD) to San Juan de Puerto Rico (SJU) as well as to two key cities in northeastern Brazil—Fortaleza (FOR) and Recife (REC). While Fortaleza and Recife are new destinations for Iberia, the airline already maintains a nonstop Airbus A330 service to Puerto Rico, highlighting its strong presence in the Caribbean market. Beginning on October 28, 2025, a new daily A321XLR service will supplement the existing air links between Madrid and San Juan, increasing the frequency to eleven flights per week during the 2025/26 winter season. At the time of launch, this Madrid-San Juan flight is expected to become the longest A321XLR service in the world, with a flight time slightly exceeding nine hours.
The new services to Recife and Fortaleza are slated to launch on December 13, 2025, and January 19, 2026, respectively. These routes will initially operate three times per week, with frequencies planned to be increased to five per week for Recife and four per week for Fortaleza by February 2026. Each route will be operated by A321XLR aircraft configured to carry 182 passengers, with 14 seats in Business Class and 168 in Economy Class. The addition of these flights will not only add substantial capacity to the Spain-Brazil market but will also allow passengers traveling to and from northern Brazil to bypass the congestion at the main international hubs in southern Brazil, such as São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro. Currently, Iberia operates two daily flights to São Paulo-Guarulhos (GRU) and five weekly services to Rio de Janeiro Galeão (GIG).
Another key new service announced by Iberia is the launch of a route to Orlando, which will debut on October 26, 2025. This service will be operated four times per week using Airbus A330-300 aircraft fitted with 254 seats arranged across three classes—29 in Business, 21 in Premium Economy, and 242 in Economy. The Orlando route further demonstrates Iberia’s commitment to diversifying its network and tapping into the lucrative leisure market in the United States.
Iberia became the launch operator of the A321XLR in November 2024 with an initial service to Boston-Logan (BOS). This achievement will be followed by further A321XLR services to Washington-Dulles (IAD) once the second aircraft of the type is delivered. According to the airline, the second and third A321XLRs are expected to be delivered by Airbus before the end of the first quarter of 2025.
These aircraft are part of an order placed by International Airlines Group (IAG) in 2019 for 14 A321XLRs, with an additional 14 options. In principle, eight of these aircraft are allocated to Iberia, while the remaining six will go to Aer Lingus, further expanding the group’s combined long-range narrowbody capabilities. This ambitious expansion strategy reinforces Iberia’s role as a major player in connecting Europe with the Americas and beyond.
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