Iberia will resume its flights to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport directly from Madrid on 27 October 2024, coinciding with the beginning of the next winter season. From that day and during the whole year, the Spanish airline will offer three weekly flights on Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays from Madrid, and on Mondays, Fridays, and Sundays from Tokyo.
Iberia´s direct flight between Madrid and Tokyo is the only direct option that will connect Spain with Japan.
In total, more than 45,000 seats between Spain and Japan will go on sale during the next winter season, which runs from October 27th to March 25th.
Due to the closure of Russian airspace, the flight path to Tokio has been adjusted. Given the critical role of winds in route planning, customers flying round-trip with Iberia will do a round-the-world trip, as the outbound from Madrid to Tokyo will be done across the south and the inbound across the north, above Russia, across the Pacific Ocean and the Artic.
From today, seats are on sale at Iberia.com with a starting price of €931 return ticket.
To Tokyo, with the most modern plane
The Airbus A350 is the model chosen by Iberia to operate this new direct flight. This type of aircraft for long-haul routes is one of the most modern, efficient, and quiet on the market. Its fuel consumption is between 30 and 35% lower than similar aircraft, which also allows for a reduction of CO2 emissions, thanks to the latest generation materials with which it is built and the advanced design of its Rolls-Royce Trent XWB engines. Iberia’s A350s have the capacity for 330 passengers, 31 in Business, 24 in Premium Economy and 293 in Economy.
Madrid, a gateway from Asia to Spain, the rest of Europe, and Latin America
The flight to Tokyo, as well as adding a new destination to Iberia’s route map, also marks Iberia’s return to Japan and Asia. The first time that the Spanish airline flew to Tokyo was in 1986. Unlike the direct flights that will be offered next year, at that time the flight plan included two stops, one in Barcelona and the other in Mumbai. In 1992, with the addition of the Airbus A340 and the improved version of the Boeing B747 to Iberia’s fleet, the airline began operating direct flights between both capitals, until 1998. In 2016, Iberia once again offered this route to its customers, and did so until 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic started it.
According to María Jesús López Solás, Iberia’s Commercial and Network Development and Alliances Director, “Our return to Tokyo is remarkable news. It represents the return of Iberia to Japan, where it began operations in 1986, and together with the recently launched direct flights to Doha, it confirms our commitment to Asia. The economic growth of the countries in this continent is immense, as indicated by all the forecasts for the coming decades. At Iberia, we want to show Madrid’s potential as a gateway to Spain, the rest of Europe, and Latin America, to connect these two parts of the world.»
The operating hours of the flights between Madrid and Tokyo allow connections with Iberia’s destinations in Spain, as well as in the rest of Europe and Latin America. In total, the Iberia Group network flies to around 140 destinations in 46 countries, 45 in Spain, 56 in Europe, 8 in Africa, 27 in America, and 2 in the Middle East. Furthermore, since 2016, with the resumption of flights to Tokyo, the Spanish airline joined the joint business agreement between Japan Airlines, British Airways and Finnair, known as Siberian Joint Business (SJB), to operate routes between Japan and Europe.
Stopover Hello Madrid
For customers who fly with Iberia from Tokyo, but whose final destination is not Madrid, the airline offers its Stopover Hola Madrid programme, which allows passengers to stay in the Spanish capital for up to six nights without any extra cost in the price of the flight. In addition, they will benefit from many discounts and advantages in hotels, restaurants, and leisure plans in the capital. About 20,000 passengers take advantage of this service each year.
