Iberia begins to operate its Airbus 350 at Quito Airport
Quito, August 5, 2020.- A sunset illuminated by the Quito summer sun and an arc of water prepared by aeronautical firefighters at the Quito International Airport bode farewell to the Iberia Airbus A350 yesterday afternoon, the most modern aircraft in the fleet of the Spanish company, which began operating on the Madrid - Quito - Madrid route. It is the first time that this model airplane visits an airport in Ecuador.
Through a statement released by the airline, Iberia explained that these flights are operated in compliance with the regulations established by both Ecuador and Spain, and following all the prevention and hygiene measures of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Spanish Agency Aviation Safety (AESA) and the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC). These measures can be found on the company's website: https://www.iberia.com/ec/es/covid-19/medidas-adoptadas/
Andrew O’Brian, president and CEO of Corporación Quiport, the company that manages and operates the Quito airport, stressed the importance of starting this operation for the city. “The A350 is the most modern aircraft currently operating commercial flights. It offers a number of advantages in terms of fuel consumption that makes the operation more efficient and friendlier to the environment. In terms of service, the aircraft is ideal for intercontinental flights and offers a high-quality product for our passengers who can enjoy a more pleasant flight. I congratulate Iberia on this milestone in our joint operation,” commented Mr. O’Brian.
"Starting yesterday, the Spanish airline operates with its modern Airbus A350 the three weekly flights that it has scheduled between Quito and Madrid, that it will offer on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays during the month of August," the statement said.
High technology at the service of the client and the environment
According to the information rovided by Iberia, the Airbus A350 offers great improvements over the A340/600 fleet, which it replaces, both in the customer experience and in its operation, which is much more sustainable. These aircraft have a configuration of 348 seats: 31 in Business class, 24 in its new Premium Economy cabin and 293 in Economy class.
A currentless ventilation system with ozone filters renews the air inside the aircraft every two to three minutes, which contributes to its purity and improves the cabin humidity level by between 11 and 16 percent.
The windows are panoramic and the lighting is with LED lights. In addition, the materials with which this aircraft is built, added to the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines Iberia has equipped its Airbus A350-900 with, make it the quietest on the market.
It is a twin-engine aircraft, which has a range of 14,800 km, and consumes 25 percent less fuel than other models of similar capacity, which also represents a 25 percent reduction in CO2 emissions.