news about cheap fares and airlines from travel search engine Trabber

Deutsche Lufthansa and a US private equity fund have requested information on Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana SA.

Yesterday, the Spanish flag carrier said its board authorised chairman Fernando Conte in February to provide information to potential investors interested in participating in the company.

The airline said yesterday that it is currently not considering any tie-up proposal, nor has it received an approach or become involved in an agreement with any third parties.

source: Forbes

Spain’s Iberia is a takeover target from Germany’s Lufthansa according to a report in the French economic daily newspaper La Tribune.

It said Lufthansa has opened discussions – but not negotiations – on possibly buying a key stake. Iberia has denied the report and Lufthansa refused to comment.

Such a tie up would create an airline carrying carry 100 million passengers annually, bigger than the current European number one – Air France-KLM with 70 million.

source: Euronews.net

Three new nonstop flights from European airports to Boston are starting from this March with Air Lingus opening Dublin-Boston route from March 25, Iberia flying from Madrid to Boston from May 6 and flyglobespan operating the Glasgow-Boston from May 25, 2007.

source: Traveldailynews

Spain and Britain have been squabbling over Gibraltar for the past 300 years, but two simple one-hour flights could be the first practical signs that all three parties are willing to say goodbye to all that.

Shortly before 1 p.m. (1200 GMT) Saturday, an Iberia Airlines Airbus A319 became the first-ever direct passenger flight from Spain to land at the disputed British colony on Europe’s southern tip. Almost simultaneously, a GB Airways flight landed in Madrid.

source: CNN

Iberia will start flying daily between Madrid and Gibraltar on December 16^th. The new schedule flight will leave Madrid Barajas airport at 11:50 a.m. and will arrive at Gibraltar at 13:00. The return flight will be at 13:50, while it will land at Madrid at 15:00. From there, passengers will be able to fly to the other Iberia’s Spanish and international destinations.

source: touristikpresse.net

British Airways said it had purchased American Airlines’ stake in Spanish carrier Iberia for 19 million euros ($24.29 million).

BA, Europe’s third-largest airline, said in a statement it now owned about 10 percent of Iberia, up from 9 percent previously.

source: Reuters

The load factor improved by 2.8 points compared to 2005, reaching 83.3%, a record level for this month. Traffic -measured in RPK (revenue passenger kilometre)- grew by 5.7%, while capacity -measured in  ASK (available seat kilometre)- increased by 2.1%. The traffic growth in international flights (+8.9%), accompanied by a mix improvement; the load factor improved in all sectors. The average stage length increased by 5.9% due to the growing weight of long haul traffic.

source: Travel Daily News

Iberia Lineas Aereas de Espana’s new low cost airline Clickair said it expects to book 260 M euros in revenues in 2007.

The airline, which recently began operations out of Barcelona’s El Prat airport, will have a fleet of 20 airplanes by end-2007, and 30 planes by end-2008, a Clickair spokeswoman said.

fuente: Forbes