Iberia is celebrating the 70th anniversary of their first flight between Madrid and New York, which took place on August 3, 1954, with a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation. At that time the route operated three times per week, compared to double daily service today.
On Friday (August 2, 2024), Iberia announced the celebration of the 70th anniversary of their inaugural flight between Madrid and New York. The inaugural flight took place on August 3rd, 1954, with a Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation, and the route operated three times weekly, compared to double daily service today. At that time, Iberia operated three Super Constellations, and the first Madrid-New York flight was operated with the aircraft named Santa Maria. In commemoration of the special occasion, Iberia’s long-haul Cabin Crewmember, Andrés Iwasaki, surprised guests onboard flight IB6251 on Saturday (August 3rd), with a special performance of Frank Sinatra’s classic New York, New York. Currently, Iberia operated the Madrid-New York route with an Airbus A350-900, featuring 31 Business Class, 24 Premium Economy and 293 Tourist Class seats.
Marking 70 years of service between Madrid and New York, Iberia’s long-haul Cabin Crewmember, Andrés Iwasaki, surprised guests onboard flight IB6251 on Saturday (August 3, 2024), with a special performance of Frank Sinatra’s classic New York, New York.
Iberia’s inaugural 1954 flight between Madrid and New York lasted 15 hours due to weather conditions, compared to the normal flight time of 9-10 hours. The carrier’s Super Constellation featured 19 First Class and 55 Economy Class seats, and was crewed by 10 flight and cabin crew members. At that time, First Class tickets cost $436, while Economy tickets cost $334. During the first five months of operation between August and December 1954, Iberia carried nearly 2,000 passengers on the Madrid-New York route, increasing to 7,300 for the full-year 1955. In 1979, after 25 years, Iberia had carried over 2.2 million passengers on the route.
Vintage Iberia Travel Posters Promoting Lockheed L-1049 Super Constellation Service and Flights Between Madrid and New York - Courtesy Iberia
In 1952, Iberia ordered three Lockheed L-1049 constellations, the first of which arrived in Madrid on June 24, 1954. The three new aircraft were named after Christopher Columbus’ three caravels, the Santa Maria, Niña and Pinta. The acquisition of the new Super Constellations allowed Iberia to launch regularly scheduled service from Madrid to destinations on the other side of the Atlantic, including New York, Buenos Aires, and Havana. With a pressurized cabin, faster speeds and a longer range that the carrier’s Douglas DC-4s, the Super Constellation offered guests an enhanced travel experience. The speed and range of the DC-4 was 365km/hour and 6,800 km respectively, while the Super Connie offered a speed of 550 km and a range of 8,300 km.
Source: Iberia
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