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

The truth is that last year's FITUR was a turning point, but this year we believe it will be even more so. Ultimately, transport and tourism are key factors for the economy and people's lives, to reconnect and have that contact. FITUR is a turning point for us, where we resume these encounters and return to a bit of normality. This year at FITUR we are presenting our new uniforms that our crew will wear from summer, and we are also presenting the new Gordon, a much more personalized and digital service, and of course our entire sustainability strategy, which is extremely important for the entire industry and for us, we take it into account in every decision we make.

Yes, it's true. During the pandemic we always bet on maintaining that connectivity because people need to be connected, they need to travel for leisure, work, to visit family. From the beginning we kept that promise: if we said we would operate a flight, we did it, because we had to provide that service to the country, society, and our customers. Now we can say we have almost recovered 100% of our network, thanks to the effort of all Iberia employees during this pandemic, which has not been easy for any industry. Our 15,000 employees have been pulling together from the start. In 2020, when we didn't really know what this was, we already had volunteers to go to China to bring medical supplies. From that first moment, we have gradually recovered our entire network, and we are very happy and grateful to our customers and our team for making it possible. 2022 will clearly mark the recovery of Iberia and the sector in general. We have also been able to attract new customers and gain market share simply by being true to our promises: operating flights, connecting our customers with the world, and offering an exquisite on-board service.

Well, starting this summer we are changing the on-board experience. For example, in our Business class we have changed the service. With our catering partner, which is one of the best in the world, we will offer a more personalized service. We will include a new seat, and in addition to pillows and blankets, a duvet that, when our seat becomes a two-meter flat bed, will simulate almost like a bed at home. We think customers will really appreciate that. On the gastronomic side, we are changing all the menus, keeping a bit of avant-garde but with Spanish touches. Our customers flying Iberia also look for that Spanish touch in both wines and food. We are adding new things that will give a point of recognition, like small Meninas for salt and pepper that customers can even take home; we are thinking they could be different and collectible. We are also working a lot on our Premium class cabin, which offers special service above Economy with more recline and new catering. That will be part of our service combined with digitalization of the experience. Digitalizing the experience is another big novelty. Starting this summer, we are launching a 'Digital Concierge' that allows the customer to see before the flight what their on-board experience will be. We can tell them the menu, the different service moments, and they can personalize it: they can request specific meals, vegetarian options, etc., in advance so the personalization starts before the flight. That's one of the biggest new features. We also launched some time ago a buy-on-board service on short and medium-haul flights, where customers can order a wide range of fresh products up to 48 hours in advance, and it's served directly to their seat. It's been very well received due to the quality of the food; ordering in advance means the fresh products are much better.

Ultimately, sustainability, as I said before, is becoming part of every decision we make. Our sustainability strategy has three pillars. First, more efficient operations: how flights are planned, routes, fuel consumption optimization, electrification of our vehicles at the airport—we have a high percentage of electric vehicles. Second, sustainability in the customer experience: being able to reduce waste, use glass, and pre-selection with digital tools. If the customer tells us in advance what they want, it helps us manage on-board provisioning better, benefiting customer experience and sustainability. Third, being a flag bearer for sustainability in the industry: the use of sustainable fuels. As you mentioned, we have started making major agreements in Spain with companies to research this path for decarbonizing the industry. We have started doing flights using part of that fuel, in line with policies being designed in Europe. We are standard-bearers and at the forefront, working intensively.

The truth is that Iberia has always prided itself on being modern, working with Spanish designers to create our uniforms, which are both modern and comfortable, instilling a sense of pride in belonging to Iberia. Here we can see the evolution of the different uniforms up to 2022, designed by Teresa Helbig. We are very happy to launch them this summer at the same time as the new on-board experience, the service, food, and the rest. We believe it's a perfect combination that makes our team feel better, and that in turn is transferred to our customers.