Gabriel Perdiguero (Iberia): "2022 será un punto de inflexión para el turismo y la economía"

The truth is that last year, when we were at FITUR, it was a turning point, but this year we believe it is even more so. Transport and tourism are key factors for the economy and people's lives. Being back, having that contact between people, and FITUR for us is a turning point. This is where we resume those meetings with different people, returning a bit to normalcy. And this year at FITUR, we come to present our new uniforms that our crew will wear starting this summer. We come to present the new Gordon service, a much more personalized and digital onboard service, and of course our entire sustainability strategy, which is very important for the industry and for us. We take it into account in every decision. We will be talking about a clear commitment from Iberia, which is connectivity, especially in this era. Yes, it's true. During the pandemic, we always bet on maintaining that connectivity because people need to be connected, to travel for leisure, work, to visit family. From the beginning, we kept that promise. If we said we would operate something, we operated it because we had to provide that service to the country, society, and our customers. Now we have practically recovered 100% of our network, thanks to the effort of all 15,000 Iberia employees during this pandemic. In 2020, we already had volunteers to go to China to bring medical supplies. From that start, we have gradually recovered our entire network. We are very happy and grateful to our customers and team. We believe 2022 will clearly mark the recovery of Iberia and the sector. We have also attracted new customers and gained market share by being faithful to our promises: to operate, connect our customers with the world, and provide an exquisite onboard service.

Well, starting this summer, we are changing the onboard experience. For example, in our business class, we have changed the service. With our catering partner Do&Co, one of the best in the world, we will offer a more personalized service. We will include new tableware, pillows, and a duvet in addition to the blanket. When our bed, almost two meters long, is fully horizontal, that duvet will simulate a bed at home. Customers will really appreciate that. On the gastronomic side, we are changing all the menus, maintaining a bit of avant-garde but with signs of Spanishness. Our customers look for that Spanish touch in wines and food. We are adding new things that give a point of recognition of Iberia, like small Meninas for salt and pepper that customers can take home, possibly collectible. We are also working on our Premium Economy cabin, with more space, entertainment, and new catering. That will be part of the new service combined with digitalization. Starting this summer, we are launching 'Digital Concert'. Before the flight, customers can see the onboard experience, the menu, and the service moments. They can personalize it, ordering in advance what they want, like a vegetarian meal. This personalization starts before the flight. We also launched a service for short and medium-haul where customers can order fresh products up to 48 hours in advance, served at the seat. This has great acceptance due to quality and also reduces waste, benefiting sustainability. Iberia has also done specific flights with sustainable fuel, and here at FITUR you can see it. Sustainability is part of every decision, with three pillars: more efficient operations (flight planning, electrification of airport vehicles), sustainability in customer experience (reducing waste through pre-selection with Digital Concert), and being a flag bearer in the industry through sustainable fuels. We have started major agreements in Spain to research that path and have operated flights with sustainable fuel, in line with European policy to decarbonize the industry. We are at the forefront, working intensively.

Yes, yes, totally. Iberia has always prided itself on being modern, working with Spanish designers to design uniforms that are both modern and comfortable, so our crew feels pride in belonging to Iberia. Here we can see the evolution of the uniforms up to 2022, designed by Teresa Helbig. We are very happy to launch them this summer, at the same time as the new onboard experience. This experience, with the service, food, and everything else, is a perfect combination that makes our team feel better, and that translates to our customers.