Iberia inaugurates its daily flights to Doha

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Doha, Qatar: December 11, 2023, marked a milestone for global connectivity, with the launch of Iberia’s direct flights to Doha, Qatar. The flight, IB6701, took off from Madrid Barajas Airport (MAD) at 08:30 that morning with 270 passengers on board, and landed at the hub of Qatar Airways, Hamad International Airport (DOH), at 17:35.

With the start of daily direct flights between Madrid and Doha, Iberia significantly expanded the world’s largest joint business, together with Qatar Airways and British Airways. With Madrid, London, and Doha, the three strategic partners offer unparalleled connectivity between Spain and more than 200 destinations in the Middle East, Asia and Australasia, and Africa, with the most efficient transfers at their 5-star hubs. This operation was also part of the promotional activities promoted by Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid, the Community of Madrid, and the Madrid City Council, with the collaboration of the companies and associations that together created the Madrid Tourism Board of Experts, including Iberia.

This new route is the result of the agreement between Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid and Iberia to facilitate the opening of this connection, which in turn offers 18 new connections to the Middle East, 49 connections to Asia, 17 to Africa, and 6 to Oceania, with a stopover in Doha. This new route is estimated to generate an economic impact for the Madrid region of €55m in the first year. This network expansion is also key to expanding Iberia’s hub in Madrid as the preferred gateway to Europe for travellers coming from Asia, Australasia, the Middle East, and Africa.

“The daily flight between Madrid and Doha is not just the launch of a new route, which is always exciting. It goes further. We connect Asia, the Middle East, and Africa with Spain and Europe, which offers multiple options to increase and diversify Spanish connectivity with those regions, for both leisure and business,” said Fernando Candela, Iberia’s CEO. The Chief Commercial Officer at Qatar Airways, Thierry Antinori, said: “Taking off into a new era of aviation connectivity for Spain, we are delighted to welcome Iberia to Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as “Best Airport in the Middle East” for the ninth time. As part of the unique partnership between Qatar Airways, British Airways, and Iberia, passengers can enjoy the best service on the ground and in the air, while seamlessly connecting to their favourite destinations. This further bolsters Qatar as a destination of choice in the region, and Hamad International Airport as a global connector and one of the largest gateways in the Oneworld alliance gateway, with 10 of the 13 members operating there by 2024.”

The partnership also offers members of the airlines’ loyalty programmes the benefit of a common currency, Avios. Members of Qatar Airways Privilege Club, Iberia Plus, and British Airways Executive Club will be able to combine their balance to earn and redeem Avios on flights with all three airlines.

Flight number Origin-destination Days of operation Departure Time Arrival Time

IB 6701 Madrid-Doha Daily 08:30 17:35

IB 6700 Doha-Madrid Daily 00:55 07.10

These will complement Qatar Airways twice-daily operations:

Flight number Origin-destination Days of operation Departure Time Arrival Time

QR 150 Madrid-Doha Daily 15:25 23:55

QR 152 Madrid-Doha Daily 21:25 05:55

QR 149 Doha-Madrid Daily 08:15 13:55

QR 151 Doha-Madrid Daily 14:20 19:55

The combined schedule offers morning, afternoon, and evening departures for travellers between the two capital cities, and hundreds of connections in each hub. Whether travelling from Madrid to Bali, Sydney to Ibiza, Lisbon to Maputo, or Doha to Malaga, the combined networks will provide fast and reliable itineraries to all passengers.