History of Air Europa

Registered in Spain as Air España SA in 1986, Air Europa started by being a part of the British ILG-Air Europe Group, with 75% owned by Spanish banks.

In 1991, the company was sold to a group of investors led by Mr. Juan José Hidalgo, becoming the first private company in Spain to operated domestic flights two years later.

In 1995, Air Europa entered the international market, starting flights from London to New York.

In 1998, Air Europa joined a new holding company, Globalia Corporacion Empresarial.

In 2000, Boeing delivered Air Europa’s first Boeing 767-300, acquired to serve transoceanic routes. The “Flying Blue” program is also launched during this year.

In 2005, Air Europa becomes the first Spanish airline to provide direct flight to China.

In 2007, Air Europa joined SkyTeam Alliance officially, on the 1st of September.

In 2009, Air Europa continued to add new routes to Lisbon, Venice, London, New York and Miami.

In 2010, Air Europa established a non-stop route between Madrid and Miami, which was added to the route between Tenerife and Florida that has begun operating in 2009, and another between Madrid and Lima.

In 2012, Air Europa added new routes from Madrid to Brussels, Valencia and Bilbao and also enlarged supply on three former routes, Madrid to Gran Canaria, Palma de Mallorca and Tenerife-Norte.

In 2013, in order to support the growth and modernization of the long-haul fleet, Air Europa announced that it had placed an order of 8 Boeing 787-9 aircraft to be added to its fleet from 2016.

In 2014, Air Europa continued to expand its network by adding new routes from Madrid to San Juan, Santiago de Chile, Frankfurt and Munich. The airline also began to connect Miami to Madrid and Punta Cana, Alicante to Madrid and Palma de Mallorca, and Malaga to Melilla.

In January 2015, Air Europa announced an order for 14 Boeing B787-9 Dreamliners, the largest ever wide-body Boeing aircraft order from a Spanish carrier. With a combined total of 22 787-8s and 787-9s on order, Air Europa continues its transition to an all-Boeing long-haul fleet.

In November 2015, Air Europa launched SUMA, its own loyalty programme, after 8 years of membership of Air France and KLM Flying Blue frequent flyer programme.

In January 2016, Air Europa Express launched service operations, with three-times-daily Valencia – Madrid service via Palma. Air Europa Express is a Spanish regional carrier based at Valencia Manises Airport. Air Europa Express is a subsidiary of Globalia, the parent company of Air Europa, and was set as a short- and medium-haul operator to complement Air Europa’s long-haul operations and to compete with IAG’s Iberia Express.

In July 2016, moving forward to becoming an all-Boeing carrier, Air Europa announced an order for 20 Boeing B737 MAX 8s. The B737 MAX 8 will be a great addition to Air Europa’s growing fleet and also the perfect aircraft for short-haul operations across Europe to feed the long-haul network from hubs in Palma and Madrid.

In June 2017, Air Europa received all its eight Boeing B787-8 Dreamliner ordered. By 2022, all Boeing B787-9 Dreamliners will also be fully operational, replacing the Airbus A330 fleet and making Air Europa’s fleet one of the most modern in the world.

In March 2018, Air Europa took delivery of its first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner, thus commencing phase two of its fleet renovation programme. The new aircraft has a two-class configuration, with 303 Economy Class seats and 30 Business Class seats, and will operate flights between Madrid and Buenos Aires.
In 2019, IAG announced its intention to acquire Air Europa through its subsidiary Iberia for €1 billion from Globalia.
In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic upended the airline industry, bringing most international travel to a halt. During the crisis, Air Europa has been supported by loans from Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales, a Spanish state-owned holding company.
In January 2021, IAG and Globalia amended the original agreement for the acquisition of Air Europa. The new amount to be paid by Iberia for Air Europa will be reduced to €500 million, with payment deferred until the sixth anniversary of the completion of the acquisition expected to take place in the second half of 2021. The acquisition is subject to approval by the European Commission.