Miguel Praga

🛩 La crisis por el cierre del gobierno en EE.UU., que se acerca al mes, afectó a casi 10,000 vuelos el domingo. ¿Dónde? Aeropuertos como O'Hare, Ronald Reagan, y Newark enfrentaron graves problemas. ¿Cómo? 13,000 controladores y 50,000 empleados trabajan sin pago. ¿Quiénes? Southwest y American sufrieron retrasos significativos en 45% y un tercio de sus vuelos, respectivamente. ¿Cuándo? Martes es clave para pagos, pero no recibirán, complicando aún más la situación.

🏖 Ávoris and Viajes El Corte Inglés, led by Vicente Fenollar and Juan Carlos González, compete for Disney travel market leadership. Ávoris lost exclusivity to its rival before summer. LePlan and Touring Club launched a new professional portal homepage to aid Disney travel planning. Tourmundial, Viajes El Corte Inglés' operator, launched customizable Disneyland Paris packages in early October, including accommodation, transport, and park access. Additional services like transfers and excursions are also available to personalize the experience.

✈️ Iberia and Air Europa turn to third-party companies for long-haul flights, which have increased recently. Air Europa leases an Airbus A330 from Iberojet for routes between Madrid, Havana, and New York. Iberia partners with Privilege Style for Madrid-Buenos Aires flights, increasing to 23 weekly frequencies in summer 2026. Despite adding new A321XLR and 787 Dreamliner aircraft, delays from Airbus and Boeing persist. These arrangements are for specific, non-long-term needs.

🛫 In 2025, Spain's Imserso travel program faces frustration due to a reduction in available trips from a peak of 1.35 million in 2017 to 879,213. This reduction leaves 470,000 fewer opportunities amid growing demand from 4.3 million accredited seniors. José Manuel Lastra suggests increasing spots by 40-50% to meet demand. Pedro Fiol of AVIBA proposes an alternative €400 voucher for flexible travel.

✈️ Iberia, on October 27, marks one year since launching its longest direct route between Madrid and Tokyo, spanning 14 hours eastbound and 16 hours westbound. By 2026, the airline plans to offer over 108,000 seats across approximately 310 flights using Airbus A350s. This strategic route enhances Iberia's role as a bridge between Europe and Asia, significantly boosting tourism and bilateral relations between Spain and Japan, as highlighted by María Jesús López Solás, Iberia's commercial director.

✈ On October 2025, Riyadh Air launched its inaugural flight from Riyadh to London Heathrow, aiming to rival Emirates and Qatar Airways. The first flight departed at 3:15 AM, landing by 7:30 AM. Return flights leave at 9:30 AM, arriving by 7:15 PM. Riyadh Air plans to reach 100 destinations in five years and will soon open a route to Dubai. Operating Boeing aircraft, the fleet includes 787 models with 290 seats across different classes.