THE DUAL INSTITUTIONAL LOOK BETWEEN THE BUSINESS ASSOCIATION AND THE AIRLINE

Juan, thank you so much for welcoming us today. Your vision is a highly valuable asset to this initiative.

Before we delve into IBERIA’s current focus and its future strategic outlook, let’s talk about you, your profile, and your career path at the airline that has led transatlantic aviation for over 75 years, and will celebrate its centenary in 2027.

Tell us, Juan, how would you define yourself?

Who is Juan Cierco?

Thank you, Patricia, and The Ambassadors Sections, for giving air connectivity the prominence it deserves as one of Spain’s main strengths.

It has been a long career—which inevitably reminds me of how time flies—and undoubtedly a deeply passionate one.

To avoid going too far back to my days as a journalist, which I am sure will be of less interest to readers right now, it is true that I wear two hats.

Whenever I participate in forums and institutional events, I always point this out.

On the one hand, I hold the Presidency of the Tourism Council of the CEOE, a responsibility that requires me to maintain a global vision of tourism and its macroeconomic implications as a driving industry and an essential economic engine, both in Spain and internationally.

On the other hand, and the reason we are here today, is my role as Corporate Director of IBERIA. This demands absolute expertise in the airline sector and aviation, allowing me to highlight the real impact of connectivity.Next year, IBERIA will mark a century of history connecting Spain with the world, fundamentally with Latin America.

So that is me currently, permanently navigating that strategic balance between both worlds, with the goal of representing the tourism sector globally while advancing IBERIA’s vision through the skies.

If we focus on IBERIA first, we are talking about a Corporate Management role that transcends the position itself.

You have been part of the executive leadership during some of the company’s most complex phases, with management focused on restructuring and operational resilience.

Yes, I joined IBERIA twelve years ago, under Luis Gallego—the current CEO of IAG, the group comprising IBERIA, British Airways, Vueling, Aer Lingus, and LEVEL.

At that time, the company was essentially on its deathbed.

We were losing a million euros a day.

You would wake up every morning knowing that the company was going to lose a million euros that day.

IBERIA needed an all-encompassing, deep transformation in every single area. Fortunately, we managed to complete it successfully. It took significant sacrifice, unwavering commitment, and immense generosity from all employees, but it was also thanks to a surgically precise roadmap designed to save the company from bankruptcy.

When I first joined, I did so as Director of Communications.

Today, as Corporate Director, my responsibilities span not only external and internal communications, but also institutional relations, social impact, brand, marketing, and a range of strategic functions within the Management Committee.

This allows me to closely keep my finger on the pulse of the company’s inner workings.IBERIA is a wonderful company.We went through a brutally harsh period that demanded absolute dedication, but fortunately, we knew how to steer the company back on course.

Following its rebirth, we have been reaping the rewards of success for years.

Living through an experience of that caliber instills a very high level of personal accountability, because it was not just about ensuring IBERIA’s survival; it was about making it shine again. And we have achieved it.

Today, with the storm behind us and on the doorstep of celebrating our centenary next year, I always defend our core maxim: at IBERIA, every day is day one.

It is not enough to have done things well for the last 99 years.

You have to do it well today, because if you did it well yesterday but fail today, the passenger who trusted you yesterday will not return tomorrow when choosing their next flight.

The good things from the past stay in the past.

IBERIA demands and delivers the very best, every day.

Juan, from the perspective of senior management, what would you define as the most important keys of your contribution to the company’s positioning and strategic value over the years?

I would say that one of the essential keys has been the ability to be truly present in scenarios of extreme complexity, providing the stability and balance needed to guide the organization through crucial moments that were bound to define our history.

Because of my background in journalism, I have always understood communication in its deepest dimension.

For me, the main value of communication does not lie solely in transmitting a message, but in its power to build trust.

Having been a direct witness and an active participant in one of the deepest restructuring processes in the European airline industry, I had to manage—alongside a great team—the most challenging years in the company’s history, a time when IBERIA’s future was being decided under immense pressure.

I feel deeply proud to have participated in IBERIA’s evolution throughout that transition, seeing it consolidated once again as a leading, solid, profitable, modern, and innovative airline, positioned among the best in the world.

Along this journey, strategic communication has been a fundamental tool—the driving force behind generating, enhancing, and sustaining trust in IBERIA during moments of great vulnerability.

It has been the essential lever to explain change and to reinforce the unwavering bond between the company, its shareholders, its employees, and society as a whole.

And to this enormous corporate responsibility, we must add your strategic role at the head of the CEOE Tourism Council.

Yes. From there, I actively participate in the analysis and development of tourism—the primary driver of our economy—bringing a holistic vision that views tourism and aviation as intrinsically linked.

For me, air connectivity and tourism are not just highly relevant commercial activities, but true economic, social, and human infrastructures that form the backbone of the country.

Ultimately, connectivity is the invisible language that unites countries, cultures, and people, while generating substantial opportunities for economic development.

In an era dominated by immediacy, digital hyper-connectivity, and, often, corporate detachment, I continue to defend and champion leadership based on proximity, accessibility, active listening, and the firm conviction that lasting relationships can only be built on mutual trust.

THE VIRTUOUS CIRCLE

Juan, let us highlight IBERIA’s core strengths, operational keys, and competitive advantages that have driven the airline’s remarkable rebirth, right on the doorstep of its centenary.

Well, those who know me know that I am passionate about football and a fervent supporter of Real Madrid.

To explain it metaphorically: «The shirt alone is not enough.»

The reality is that the crest does not win matches on its own.

No matter how legendary the emblem on your chest may be, if you do not run, fight, or put in the work on the pitch—if you do not give your all, get your hands dirty, and deliver your very best—the team fails and the match is lost.

If, on top of that, you are unable to handle adversity, take a hit, bounce back from defeats, train daily with fierce discipline, and understand the importance of teamwork, you will lose more than just a match; it will be impossible to win titles.

This exact philosophy can be directly applied to senior management.

You cannot neglect your preparation, you cannot stop continuously striving for improvement, you cannot ignore the importance of a well-aligned team, and under no circumstances can you lose sight of your strategic vision and mission.

At IBERIA, when we activated our historic transformation plan, we brought to the table a concept that became our mantra: The Virtuous Circle.

The Virtuous Circle is a strategic mechanism designed to satisfy and empower our four fundamental stakeholders:

1. Investors: They are the ones who trust and believe in our business model.

Their capital is what allows us to finance our growth: acquiring next-generation aircraft, renovating cabin interiors, opening new VIP lounges, and investing in both our customers’ experience and our employees’ well-being.

Without their financial backing and trust, any of our aspirations would lack operational viability.

2. Customers: Our raison d’être.

If travelers who place their trust in us do not experience excellent service, they will not choose us as their preferred option, nor will they become advocates for IBERIA.

If the customer does not return, the company loses its existential purpose. At IBERIA, the obsession with service excellence is absolute.

3. Employees: Internal talent is the heart of the organization.

If IBERIA’s employees do not feel deeply proud to belong to this ambitious project, or if they are not motivated and satisfied, it is impossible for them to transmit that excellence to our customers.

If this link fails, the customer does not return; if the customer leaves, the investor withdraws their capital, and the circle breaks immediately.

4. Society: Our responsibility to give back to society a portion of everything it provides us.

We approach it from a three-pronged sustainability perspective: economic, social, and environmental.

It is the ethical bridge that demonstrates that connectivity flows responsibly and that IBERIA acts as an exemplary corporate entity.

If any of these four pillars weakens, the system fails, and the virtuous circle turns into a vicious circle.

IBERIA’s success in recent years lies, precisely, in having maintained an unwavering focus on the balance of these four factors, which are crucial for projecting the company into the future.

IBERIA: WEAVING THE SPAIN BRAND ACROSS THE SKIES

Juan, beyond business, IBERIA acts as one of the primary assets of the Spain Brand abroad, operating as a benchmark for reliability and global air connectivity.

How do you manage that reputational responsibility beyond our borders?

Yes, IBERIA has consolidated itself as a guarantor of reliability—a constant pillar of trust and solidity that citizens know they can always rely on.

The pandemic showed us, in the harshest way possible, that without aviation, the economy comes to a grinding halt.

The airplane was designed to fly, not to be grounded.

Seeing empty skies was the ultimate proof that aviation is the most critical backbone of the global machinery. Without it, you cannot connect talent, businesses, people, families, or create employment.

In a country where tourism contributes nearly 14% of the GDP and 85% of international travelers arrive by air, a Spain disconnected from the skies would be simply unimaginable.

When a foreign tourist, businessperson, or investor enjoys a memorable experience in Spain, their bond with the country does not end when their trip concludes.

In a hyperconnected world, that traveler will continue to seek out, consume, and import our products from their home country.We must maintain a constant, unwavering focus on excellence and on championing the SPAIN Brand.

A tourist or traveler who returns home fascinated by our country becomes, for life, the best ambassador for Spain in the world.

Juan, there is also a profound paradigm shift visible in the consumer, where traveling has gone from being an option to becoming a priority.

How is IBERIA responding to current demand and to complex global geopolitical tensions?

Traveling has ceased to be a mere means of transport and has become a vital priority—an experiential luxury that society, from younger generations to seniors, demands to enjoy in the present, without waiting for tomorrow.

Currently, despite complex geostrategic situations and factors that directly impact fuel costs, demand remains robust.

The routes connecting Madrid with Latin America and the United States display unquestionable strength, driven by that collective determination to prioritize the moment, live the experience, and seize the day.

IBERIA: LEADING THE ATLANTIC FOR OVER 75 YEARS

Juan, let us talk about Mexico and Latin America—markets where IBERIA’s expansion strategy carries its greatest significance.

Recently, the historic 75th anniversary of IBERIA’s first flight connecting Madrid with Mexico City was commemorated.

Launched on March 15, 1950, it was a pioneering venture that transformed transatlantic connectivity.

It is a fascinating display of IBERIA’s pioneering spirit and future-oriented vision, having become the first airline to directly link both countries and establishing Mexico as its top destination worldwide.

IBERIA’s romance with Latin America formally began in 1946 with the route to Buenos Aires—the airline’s very first destination in the region.

This route required several stopovers, including a stop in the former Western Sahara, where the Spanish government went so far as building an inn exclusively for our passengers to rest.

First IBERIA flight to Buenos Aires, Argentina, in 1946 

First IBERIA flight to Mexico City, March 15th, 1950  

Shortly after, on March 15, 1950, IBERIA’s first link between Madrid and Mexico City was inaugurated.

That inaugural flight, operated by a Douglas DC-4, made four stopovers—Lisbon, the Azores, the Bahamas, and Havana—before touching Mexican soil.

It was a true aviation epic.

At that time, this journey cost $486 one way and $874 round trip, which was equivalent to 4,204 and 7,568 Mexican pesos, respectively, at the exchange rate of the era.

Today, the reality is completely different. IBERIA connects both countries with three daily flights—amounting to 21 weekly flights—operated entirely by its most advanced fleet, the A350 Next.

This translates into more than 2,200 daily seats, exceeding 772,000 seats last year to the Mexican capital alone.

To this extensive connectivity, maintained over recent decades, we now add the 50,000-plus seats from the new Madrid-Monterrey route, inaugurated this past June 2nd.

In this way, Mexico has become the country in IBERIA’s entire long-haul network—excluding the United States—where we have the greatest capacity, comfortably surpassing 800,000 annual seats.

When we celebrate IBERIA’s centenary next year, in 2027, it will mean that we have been flying uninterruptedly to Mexico City for over three-quarters of a century, and to Buenos Aires for eight decades.

What truly fills me with pride and what I like to highlight about this journey is that IBERIA has been there through thick and thin.

Throughout these decades, both Spain and Latin American countries have gone through all kinds of challenges—economic crises, political tensions, pandemics, and strategic complexities—yet IBERIA’s commitment to connectivity has remained unwavering.

We have never stopped flying.

Juan, if we analyze the Spain-Mexico axis, we find two clearly defined dimensions.

The first is the historical bond and natural cultural affinity.

The second is of high strategic and geo-economic value for bilateral investment.

What is IBERIA’s vision to actively articulate and enhance this tourism and business ecosystem?

IBERIA puts its infrastructure at the service of corporate, economic, and tourism diplomacy, as well as talent acquisition.

Every sector must do its part to nurture this axis, and ours is to guarantee an unshakeable air bridge.

The practical result of this vision is an extraordinary operational commitment: we have consolidated a frequency of three direct daily flights between Madrid and Mexico City, which by the close of this year, 2026, translates into a historic capacity of 772,000 available seats.

Managing and filling more than 2,200 seats daily is a major challenge that demonstrates our absolute confidence in the dynamism of both markets.

In the end, we do not limit ourselves to transporting passengers; we sustain the invisible channel that unites businesses, projects, and investments, consolidating the airline as the engine of a new era of shared prosperity.

In fact, IBERIA has managed to make the route to Mexico much more than a commercial line: it is an asset of shared heritage between both countries.

This is where the positive impact of aviation is most deeply felt.

Cultural, family, and fraternal bonds mean that IBERIA is part of the lives of both Mexicans and Spaniards.

This mutual loyalty has forged our most valuable asset: certainty. Our passengers on both sides of the Atlantic know that, no matter what happens, regardless of the geopolitical or macroeconomic situation, they will always have an IBERIA aircraft to connect them to their destinations or to take them back home.

Of course, aviation is an industry of extreme complexity where unforeseen external factors intervene, but above any operational contingency, what prevails at IBERIA is the structural value of our international reputation.

STRATEGIC EXPANSION

THE NEW MADRID-MONTERREY ROUTE

Juan, IBERIA is currently experiencing one of the most solid financial and operational phases in its history.

With the start of direct operations between Madrid and Monterrey on June 2nd. 2026, what does opening this new bridge to Mexico’s industrial engine mean for the company?

It is a new milestone that consolidates and expands IBERIA’s strategic link with the Mexican market.

The opening of the direct route between Madrid and Monterrey constitutes a major step in our expansion strategy and in IBERIA’s already extensive history in Mexico.

On the one hand, it represents a highly significant reinforcement of IBERIA’s commitment to Mexico, which becomes the first country in Latin America to feature more than 800,000 available seats in 2026—a historic milestone.

Furthermore, I want to emphasize that by opening this route, we are not only connecting the people of Monterrey and Madrid; we are opening a new corridor to give all citizens of northern Mexico a new option to connect with Europe.

In fact, we have already reached an agreement with Viva Aerobus to connect Monterrey with 32 destinations within the country.

The Madrid-Monterrey link operates with three weekly flights—on Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays—utilizing state-of-the-art Airbus A330-200 aircraft.

These are wide-body, twin-aisle planes with a capacity of 288 passengers, offering the highest level of excellence in our Business and Economy cabins.

This new route will inject thousands of annual seats into a network that, combined with the three daily flights to Mexico City, will allow us to surpass the historic figure of 800,000 seats connecting both nations.

No other market in Latin America commands an operational volume of this magnitude for IBERIA.

This direct connectivity radically transforms the rules of the business game: it is clear that it is infinitely more attractive and efficient to invest in a region that you can reach directly in just a few hours, without the friction of intermediate connections.

We place our aircraft at the service of a vibrant ecosystem where business leaders, investors, tourists, diplomats, and cultural agents converge.

The future is extraordinarily encouraging because it responds to an exceptional economic boom.

Madrid is experiencing an unprecedented tourism, cultural, economic, and investment surge, already widely considered the «New Miami» for Latin American talent and capital.

IBERIA is the enabling tool, the bridge ensuring that capital flows, ideas, and people move with total confidence between two of the most dynamic poles of prosperity on today’s global map.

THE 2030 FLIGHT PLAN AND IBERIA’S ROADMAP TOWARD ITS CENTENARY

Juan, let us explore the projection of IBERIA’s Roadmap 2030.

What are the growth pillars of this plan, and how is IBERIA preparing for its upcoming centenary?

With our horizon set on the next decade, IBERIA has designed the Roadmap 2030 as the definitive guide for our strategic growth.

After consolidating the achievements of recent years by meeting the expectations of our investors, employees, customers, and society, this roadmap is a meticulously detailed plan backed by a 6-billion-euro investment.

This will allow us to expand our long-haul fleet to approximately 70 aircraft and reinforce the Madrid hub, among many other objectives.

This operational muscle enables us to undertake the opening of new international destinations and significantly strengthen our network.

Following the recent inauguration of our new Madrid-Monterrey route this past June 2nd, the launch of the Madrid-Toronto (Canada) connection will follow on June 13.

These operations join other routes we have recently opened, such as Recife and Fortaleza (Brazil), or Newark in New Jersey (United States), which complements our two daily flights to New York.

We have also reinforced our connections with other cities such as Buenos Aires (Argentina), Lima (Peru), and Santiago (Chile).

We will, of course, maintain our sharp focus and deep commitment to Latin America, which constitutes our core business and one of the main targets of this flight plan—a region where Mexico holds and will continue to hold a highly prominent, priority space.

To highlight a telling data point: Mexico currently accounts for 14% of the total seat capacity between Latin America and Europe, which demonstrates its fundamental importance as a destination for IBERIA.

IBERIA indisputably leads connectivity between Europe and the American continent, and our expansion in the region does not stop.

We continue to boost the Mexican market and, within our strategic planning, we are evaluating new destinations within Mexico for the future.

The challenge of the 2030 Flight Plan is highly ambitious, but the key right now lies in an impeccable execution that combines operational excellence with the unique warmth of our Spanish character in both our onboard and ground service.

A deeply distinctive factor of IBERIA is the immense emotional weight of our narrative, whose main objective is to champion the fact that, behind connectivity and investment figures, IBERIA connects people, families, fulfills dreams, and transports hopes.

That is an immense and everlasting legacy that takes on special relevance now that we are fully immersed in the preparations for IBERIA’s Centenary, which we will celebrate throughout 2027.

Revisiting our history, we see that IBERIA has always been present, accompanying society through both its most complex moments and its greatest developmental milestones.

We have transported the student pursuing a postgraduate degree in the United States, the father emigrating to provide for his family, the business owner looking to expand their ventures, the investor seeking opportunities, and the tourist dreaming of new and enriching experiences.

On a cultural level, IBERIA has safeguarded historic milestones such as the transport of Picasso’s Guernica. 

Today, we continue to promote this work of patronage and cultural diplomacy through key alliances, such as the one established with the Fundación Casa de México, under which we support exhibitions of great international significance in Madrid.

The tool that IBERIA represents completely transcends the physical transport of passengers or cargo; what we truly transport in our cabins are lives, projects, hopes, and dreams.

That is why I always maintain that, on the day we blow out the 100 candles on our birthday cake in 2027, we do not want only the more than 18,000 professionals who make up the IBERIA GROUP to do so. We want all of Spain and the millions of IBERIA customers around the world who have connected through our wings—especially in Latin America—to blow out those candles with us.

This centenary is not just IBERIA’s birthday; it is the celebration of the success and international projection of an entire country.

ECONOMIC DIPLOMACY, SUSTAINABILITY, AND INSTITUTIONAL SYNERGY

Juan, as President of the Tourism Council of the CEOE, how does IBERIA’s expansion coexist with the challenges of regulatory certainty and sustainability (SAF—Sustainable Aviation Fuel) across the Latin American axis?

At IBERIA, sustainability is not a debate for the future; it is the core axis of our current operational viability.

We maintain a firm commitment to decarbonization, but the reality of SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) demands deep institutional synergy.

Currently, the main challenge is not the willingness of airlines, but rather the lack of large-scale production and the high cost of these clean fuels, which currently cost three to four times more than traditional kerosene.

From the CEOE, we always maintain that the ecological transition of the airline industry must be approached through regulatory certainty and incentives, never through tax penalties.

Imposing asymmetrical taxes or regulations in Europe without securing SAF supply in Latin American markets only damages competitiveness and increases ticket prices for customers, without solving the global emissions problem.

The challenge of the 2030 Flight Plan is to achieve a strategic balance: to prove that long-haul air connectivity with Latin America can continue to grow and generate wealth, while we simultaneously lead the implementation of cleaner, more efficient flight technologies.

We need governments to create a clear regulatory framework that fosters investment in SAF production plants, ensuring the skies remain the primary economic engine of tourism

THE MADRID-MEXICO ROUTE: OVER 11,000 JOBS

THE «TALENT ON BOARD» PROGRAM

AND THE CASA DE MÉXICO SCHOLARSHIPS IN SPAIN

Juan, the IBERIA Madrid-Mexico route generates over 11,000 jobs and an enormous amount of wealth. Tell us also about special programs like «Talent on Board» and initiatives such as the Casa de México scholarships in Spain, which reinforce the company’s purpose even further.

Indeed, this is one of the primary values of aviation: it not only connects people with the world, but it also brings vital added value to the communities it serves.

At IBERIA, through our Madrid-Mexico City route alone, we generate 11,000 direct, indirect, and induced jobs, while contributing 360 million euros to the GDP—a figure that will undoubtedly continue to grow as our operations expand.

This social impact carries over into other fields as well. For example, IBERIA was the airline that transported nearly five hundred artifacts from Mexico to Spain for the exhibition «La mitad del mundo. La mujer en el México indígena,» which is currently on display at one of Madrid’s most iconic museums.

Furthermore, a few months ago, we signed an agreement with the Fundación Casa de México in Madrid to provide travel and mobility support for Mexican scholarship recipients coming to study in Spain.

These and many other actions are central to IBERIA’s mission and reinforce its purpose, as they have a tangible impact on people’s lives and on the countries we serve.

THE MADRID HUB: EUROPE’S GATEWAY FOR THE 2026 WORLD CUP

Juan, what role will IBERIA play as an official airline for the World Cup?

IBERIA is going to play a pivotal role in connectivity between Europe and the host countries of the 2026 World Cup.

We operate flights to many of the host cities, such as Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami, New York, San Francisco, Toronto, Mexico City, and Monterrey, enabling us to offer extensive capacity for everyone wishing to fly from Madrid to enjoy this global spectacle.

The IBERIA Airbus A350 that will take the Spanish National Team to the 2026 World Cup, customized with the slogan “A team takes off, a country flies”

IBERIA surprised 352 passengers on its flight between Madrid and Mexico City by gifting them the new Spanish National Team shirt for the 2026 World Cup

Juan, what a beautiful story IBERIA has… Thank you so much for sharing with us this lucid overview of its past, its present, and its inspiring future.

The solidity of the data and the rigor of the strategy point toward a memorable centenary—exactly the one IBERIA deserves.

A final message for our 6.9 million international readers, among whom there are surely many of your customers?

First of all, I want to express our sincere gratitude to both our current and potential customers for choosing IBERIA for their travels.

We work daily to ensure the best service and comprehensive operational excellence; our ambition for the future is unwavering.

Our commitment and our guarantee are—and will remain—to continue operating under the maxim that has guided our history: to face every single day as if it were day one.

That is what we have done throughout nearly 100 years of history, and that is what we will continue to do in the years to come.

We do not know what technologies will dominate the world in the next century, nor how global mobility will evolve, but what we are absolutely certain of is that IBERIA will remain the leading Spanish airline connecting Spain with the world.

We will continue to be the unshakeable bridge connecting Mexico and Argentina with Spain, and all of Latin America with Spain and Europe—breaking down distances and connecting lives, people, cultures, projects, businesses, investments, and dreams.

We prepare for the future with the humility of those who always begin today, but with the determination and pride of knowing that we are about to complete our first century of history.

And as for the next one…

We will rise to the occasion.

JUAN CIERCO JIMÉNEZ DE PARGA

CORPORATE DIRECTOR IBERIA

PRESIDENT OF THE CEOE TOURISM COUNCIL

By Patricia Pal

Madrid, June 2nd. 2026

Spain-Mexico

World Leaders of Contemporary Tourism

The Ambassadors Sections

2026 Edition

Puedes leer esta entrevista en español aquí

World Leaders of Contemporary Tourism

SPAIN-MÉXICO

2026 EDITION

The Ambassadors Sections  

NastaONE International Communication & Foreign Investment Trends

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