Iberia Expects High Profitability of the Route Madrid-Havana

Madrid, Jan 26 .- Iberia expects high returns from Madrid-Havana line to be reopened on June 1, said today the Director of Communications and Institutional Relations of the company, Juan Cierco.

In an interview with Prensa Latina, Cierco said that besides a high occupancy factor, Iberia hopes to attract good presence in Business Class (business and entrepreneurs) due to the economic prospects of the island.

Coincidentally, the Ambassador of Cuba in Spain, Eugenio Martinez, considered big news today's announcement of the return of the company to the Caribbean island.

I was informed by the Presidency of the reopening of Iberia which was a historic route that joined Cuba-Europe for years, which today is recovered for the benefit of travelers between the Iberian Peninsula and my country, said the diplomat.

In his opinion the number of visitors from Spain, which grew just over five percent in 2014, may be higher this year. Cuba, he said, is a safe destiny, full of unforgettable experiences, with friendly people and educated destination, offering now a welcome to this new frequency of flights.

Asked about the reasons for restoring the route, Cierco said that this was canceled for economic reasons, when Iberia was in a very difficult situation, but the changes undertaken in the company, now ensure profitability.

In this regard he said that a new cost structure and agreements with representatives of workers and pilots, which changed the situation that made Iberia a company rooted in the past, unable to compete.

Regarding the prospects of incorporating not only Spaniards on the road with Cuba, Cierco explained that the 65 percent of passengers passing through Madrid Iberia make connecting flights and only 35 percent fly point to point.

Resetting the route to Cuba we do with the idea that many of the passengers in Europe use Iberia flying to Havana, especially Italians, French, Germans and British, he said.

In addition to a high occupancy factor, he added, Iberia hopes to have good presence Business Class which makes routes more profitable, while the leisure and holiday traffic is also important.

We count on in this case an increase of business traffic and entrepreneurs in view of the changes that are announced with the start of talks to normalize relations between Cuba and the United States, and expect to complete a good start.

All things being planted and that talks make our perspectives are also more optimistic, he said.
(Prensa Latina)