Iberia Inaugurates Madrid-Dallas Nonstop with SAF Flight

DALLAS - Today, Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) welcomed a new international airline with the debut of Iberia's (IB) nonstop service to Madrid, Spain.

The route will be served four times weekly by Airbus A330-200s with a capacity of 288 passengers.

The journey from DFW to Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) will be the first long-haul flight operated by IB using a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend. The airline's aim is to contribute to what is hailed in Europe as the green transformation of the aviation sector, including the use of renewable fuels.

The new route is in line with DFW's commitment to sustainability and its aim of being the world's first and largest carbon-neutral airport by 2030.

Iberia EC-MNL Airbus A330-200. Photo: Pablo Gonzales/Airways

122 American, 50 European Destinations

The new service adds to American Airlines (AA) daily service between DFW Airport and MAD, giving travelers another convenient option when flying to Spain or beyond. Customers can continue their journey from Madrid to any of IB's more than 50 European destinations.

Travelers flying from MAD to DFW, which says it's the most connected airport in the world, will have access to 98 destinations in the United States and 24 destinations in Mexico via oneworld carriers.

Dallas' DFW is IB's eighth destination in the United States.

Sustainability at DFW

As part of a cooperative circular economy effort in the aviation arena in the United States, DFW received its first delivery of SAF, becoming the first airport in the country to execute such a trial, thanks to a collaboration with Avfuel Corporation and Neste.

The research demonstrated the potential to close the circularity loop at DFW by providing raw materials for the production of renewable fuels. The circularity initiative aims to create a collaboration model for upcycling and repurposing valuable waste materials throughout the value chain.

The pilot project's distribution of SAF to the airport demonstrated the fuel's commercial and technological viability. With today's IB SAF flight, DFW is continuing to direct its efforts toward achieving a net-zero aviation industry.

Featured image: Iberia EC-MJA Airbus A330-200 (Madrid livery). Photo: Lorenzo Giacobbo/Airways