IAG Cargo to launch connectivity between Madrid, San Francisco

The launch of the first direct flight between Madrid (MAD) and San Francisco (SFO), set to commence in April 2018, will mark a significant expansion in IAG Cargo’s connectivity between the United States and Europe, bringing the number of IAG Cargo routes out of MAD to 54.

An A330-200, operated by Iberia, will service the route three times per week, offering capacity of up to 14 tonnes per flight.

“San Francisco has a well-established technology hub, with computer and electronic products being California’s top export category in 2016,” said David Shepherd, commercial director for IAG Cargo. “California is also a vital market for exports, contributing to over US$2 trillion of U.S. goods and services exports last year. We anticipate that the new route will offer a welcome boost to tech and SME exporters transporting their goods into Europe and across our wider network.”

IAG is also adding widebody capacity between MAD and Tel Aviv (TLV) next year. The TLV service will increase widebody flights from the current three frequencies per week to daily services, increasing capacity by an additional 20 pallets each week.