Iberia celebrates 80 years of flights between Madrid and Buenos Aires

Iberia celebrates 80 years of air connection between Madrid and Buenos Aires, a route that began in 1946 and became one of the main links between Europe and Latin America. The first flight took place on September 22 of that year, while the first commercial operation with passengers and cabin crew took place on October 15.

The maiden voyage was carried out by a Douglas DC-4 aircraft and took about 36 hours, with stops in Villa Cisneros, Natal and Rio de Janeiro. Eight decades later, the company operates three daily flights between the two cities and uses mainly Airbus A350 aircraft

.

How was Iberia's first flight between Madrid and Buenos Aires

The first flight connecting both capitals took off on September 22, 1946.

The aircraft used was a Douglas DC-4, which completed the route after making three stops before landing in Buenos

Aires.

The first commercial operation with passengers and cabin crew took place on October 15, 1946. On that trip, 28 passengers flew, who paid 11,435 pesetas for a one-way ticket and 20,583 pesetas for a round trip

.

The route also marked the birth of the figure of cabin crew (TCP) in Spain. Four women were selected for this first service: Pilar Mascías, Marichín Ruiz, María José Ugarte and Ana Marsans

.

The first flight attendants and the evolution of the profession In the

beginning, different names were evaluated for the new profession, including flight attendants, airmen, stewards and temporary workers. Finally, the term stewardess prevailed, and one of the main requirements to enter was to know languages,

especially English. The

initial tasks were focused on caring for passengers, transmitting peace of mind and distributing food service. On the first flight between Madrid and Buenos Aires, the menu included fried chicken, Spanish tortilla, hard-boiled egg and chocolates, distributed in small

cardboard boxes.

A year later, in 1947, Fernando Castillo, the first man to work as a cabin crew member in Iberia, joined

.

How the uniforms and functions of Iberia's crew members changed The first flight attendants

did not wear uniforms. Later, the company incorporated white suits made with parachute fabric for summer and navy blue models for the rest of

the year.

Since the 1960s, Iberia has called on renowned designers to create clothing for its crews. Among them were Manuel Pertegaz, Elio Berhanyer, Adolfo Domínguez and Alfredo Caral. Since 2020, the Catalan designer Teresa Helbig has been in charge of uniforms and is the first woman to take on this task in the company's history

.

Iberia currently has 4,062 cabin crew members: 2,735 women, representing 67%, and 1,327 men, equivalent to 33%. In addition to serving passengers, TCPs have responsibilities related to security, emergency equipment, evacuations and assistance in medical situations

.

How many flights does Iberia have between Buenos Aires and Madrid

The frequency of the route changed significantly since 1946, when there was a flight every ten days. Currently, Iberia offers three daily flights between Buenos Aires and Madrid, most of them operated with A350 aircraft, the largest in its fleet

.

During June, July and August of this year, the company operated four daily flights to meet the demand of the summer season. In addition, Argentina is part of the priority markets of its 2030 Flight Plan, the strategy with which it seeks to boost its business over the coming years

.