Iberia is marking the 80th anniversary of its Madrid-Buenos Aires service on 22 September 2026, commemorating the inaugural flight operated with a Douglas DC-4 that linked Europe and Latin America for the first time on a regular commercial basis. The route remains a core long-haul operation for the carrier, with three daily flights in normal service and four daily frequencies during June, July and August this year to meet peak demand.
The first flight, launched on 22 September 1946, took about 36 hours and stopped in Villa Cisneros, Natal and Rio de Janeiro before reaching Buenos Aires. Current anniversary coverage highlights Argentina as one of Iberia’s strongest Latin American markets and positions the Madrid-Barajas to Buenos Aires-Ezeiza link as a flagship of the airline’s transatlantic network.
To mark the day, flights departing from Buenos Aires are featuring a themed onboard gastronomic offer. The route’s longevity also reflects the depth of Iberia’s presence in Latin America, where the airline has built one of its most important international networks over eight decades.