Press Release

Today Iberia will join Japan Airlines, British Airways and Finnair in their joint business between Europe and Japan.

The joint business means that the four airlines will share revenue and cooperate on scheduling and pricing between Japan and Europe, providing customers with more flexible routing options and an attractive range of fares.

Last August Japanese regulators gave approval to the airlines’ plans to include Iberia in the joint business between British Airways, Japan Airlines and Finnair. The Spanish airline starts today with thrice-weekly non-stop flights Madrid-Tokyo-Madrid.

The joint business opens up all four airlines’ networks between Japan and Europe and allows the airline partners to cooperate on expanding their presence in this growing and important market. The agreement also strengthens the oneworld alliance and enables it to compete more effectively around the world with other global alliances.

Customer benefits of the joint business will include:
• The ability to mix and match flights on all four carriers for the most convenient scheduling and best pricing
• Online booking capability and check-in with any of the four airlines, regardless of which is being flown
• Integrated customer support across the four airlines
• Greater connectivity on all four airlines in case of disruption

The addition of Iberia to the existing joint business means adding Madrid as a fifth gateway, together with Helsinki, London Heathrow, Madrid, Tokyo Haneda and Tokyo Narita, enabling customers to reach over 200 destinations in Europe and 59 in Japan.

Yoshiharu Ueki, President of JAL, said: “We welcome our oneworld partner, Iberia, to our home hub in Tokyo today. Japan Airlines is striving to enhance its presence in Europe, and we believe that the start of the four carrier joint business between Europe and Japan will provide more seamless access, consistent services and more travel choices for our customers.”

Alex Cruz, chairman and CEO of British Airways, said: “We are delighted our sister airline Iberia is joining our oneworld partners in the joint business. The addition of more European flights to Japan, along with the benefits of co-ordinated schedules and frequent flyer rewards is fantastic news for consumers. Iberia’s direct flights between Narita and Madrid will be a very popular addition.”

Pekka Vauramo, CEO of Finnair, said: "The addition of Iberia to our existing joint business between Europe and Japan is a great asset and we look forward to working closely with all our partners in this alliance. We are especially pleased with the benefits and opportunities this will generate for our oneworld customers travelling between both continents.”

Luis Gallego, President and CEO of Iberia, said: “Today is a great day for the Iberia family. We are returning to Japan as a renewed airline, with our newest aircraft and product for our customers, and we do so accompanied by such wonderful partners as British Airways, JAL and Finnair. We are proud to contribute to strengthen the alliance and to the growth of the leisure and business travels between Spain and Japan thanks to the only non-stop flights between the two countries.”

Notes to editor:
• Iberia starts today  three-weekly operations from Madrid to Tokyo.
• Finnair flies from Helsinki to Tokyo Narita, Osaka, Nagoya and Fukuoka.
• British Airways operates a double daily service from London Heathrow to Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports.
• Japan Airlines operates daily services from Tokyo’s Narita and Haneda airports to Paris, from Haneda to London and from Narita to Frankfurt and Helsinki.