Iberia has commemorated 80 years since Spain’s first professional cabin crew members operated on a commercial service, recalling the airline’s inaugural transatlantic flight from Madrid to Buenos Aires. The Douglas DC-4 carried 28 passengers on 15 October 1946 and completed the approximately 36-hour journey with stops at Villa Cisneros, Natal and Rio de Janeiro.
Four women—Pilar Mascías, Marichín Ruiz, María José Ugarte and Ana Marsans—were selected for the flight. Language skills, particularly English, were the principal recruitment requirement. Their initial responsibilities centred on reassuring passengers and distributing catering during the long-distance service.
The first male Iberia cabin crew member, Fernando Castillo, joined in 1947. The pioneering women initially worked without uniforms; Iberia later introduced a white summer outfit made from parachute fabric and a navy-blue suit for the rest of the year.
Iberia now employs 4,062 cabin crew members, including 2,735 women, or 67%, and 1,327 men, or 33%. The role has expanded from passenger service to a safety-critical function covering emergency-equipment checks, evacuation management, the identification of safety-related behaviour and responses to medical and other emergencies, in coordination with pilots and ground staff.