Madrid-based carrier Air Europa is readying for its first flight from Madrid to Johannesburg on June 24. The carrier, a member of the SkyTeam alliance for the past 20 years, will conduct thrice-weekly flights between the two cities.
At a recent launch event at the Green Park Venue in Sandton, the airline’s VP Commercial, Imanol Pérez told Freight News the airline would use a combination of Boeing B777 and B787 Dreamliner aircraft, carrying 10 tonnes of belly cargo on outgoing flights and eight tonnes inbound to South Africa.
He mentioned that some of the Madrid-bound cargo would connect onwards to Barcelona and Amsterdam, and conversely some of the cargo inbound to South Africa would connect to the US.
Its membership of the SkyTeam alliance means it has an interline agreement with Airlink, giving passengers access to 25 domestic and southern African destinations. The agreement also opens access to Air Europa’s wider network.
From Madrid, Air Europa operates to more than 13 European capitals within about one-and-a-half to two hours’ flying time, including Athens, Amsterdam, London, Lisbon, Paris, Frankfurt, Munich and Brussels. It also has domestic services connecting to many cities in mainland Spain as well as in the Balearic and Canary Islands. Air Europa also serves 22 destinations in Latin America.
South Africa is currently Air Europa’s only sub-Saharan African destination. Its other African destinations are Marrakech and Tunis, with Tangier due to come online this year.
Pérez said the airline had no immediate plans to expand to other South African or sub-Saharan destinations but remained open to opportunities.
Air Europa is also expected to receive five A350 aircraft in 2028, one of which will be deployed on the Johannesburg route.
