Gearing up to celebrate its 100th birthday in 2027, Iberia next year plans to start refurbishing its long-haul aircraft with new interiors.
“Throughout 2027, Iberia will continue to develop new initiatives to enhance the customer experience, both on the ground and on board. One of the main milestones will be the retrofit of the cabins” on long-haul aircraft, the Spanish flag carrier reveals.
Iberia’s long-haul widebody fleet of Airbus A330s and A350s do not presently offer a consistent passenger experience.
While the A330 fleet (comprising -200s and -300s) is configured with a decent Solstys product in business class, the door-free lie-flats are far from the latest and greatest. Half of the window seats in the staggered layout are close to the window and afford a decent amount of privacy, while the other “window” seats are exposed to the aisle.
New A350-900s are delivered with Airbus’ New Production Standard and RECARO CL6720 doored mini-suites configured 1-2-1, but the staggered Solstys lie-flats on Iberia’s older A350s do not feature doors. Roughly eight more A350s are slated to be delivered to Iberia.
The lie-flats on Iberia’s A330-200s are currently kitted out with an AC power outlet, USB-A port, two-pin headphone jack, touchscreen IFE remote control and a moderately large screen. Seats close to the window are private. Image: Jason Rabinowitz
It is perhaps notable that Iberia recently obtained approval to carry out heavy maintenance on the entire A350 fleet. Major aircraft retrofits are often timed to coincide with heavy maintenance.
While the oneworld alliance member hasn’t yet divulged specific product details about the refurbishment plan for its long-haul aircraft, or indeed whether ‘doors for all’ in business class is part of the scheme, it assures in a statement that the new design is “intended to provide even higher levels of quality and comfort” and “will be unveiled in the coming months.”
(In late 2024, Iberia became the first carrier in the world to launch Airbus A321XLR service; the long-haul narrowbodies feature door-free but nonetheless private VantageSOLO mini-suites from Thompson Vantage Seating. The twinjets have enabled the airline to add destinations such as Orlando, Recife, Fortaleza, Toronto and Monterrey to its network.)
Iberia says it is also working with the Royal Academy of Gastronomy “to ensure that the most emblematic products of Spanish cuisine take centre stage in its culinary offering, both on board and in its premium lounges.”
Additionally, the IAG-owned airline continues with the gradual rollout of free, high-speed Starlink Wi-Fi across its fleet.
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Featured image credited to Jason Rabinowitz
