Iberia last week announced its inaugurated nonstop service between Toronto and Madrid, reinforcing Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport’s role as a major transatlantic hub.
The airline will fly the route five times a week — on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays — using the Airbus A321XLR and putting more than 37,000 seats on the market over the summer season.
The Toronto launch is part of Iberia’s Flight Plan 2030, the company’s long-term roadmap for growth in an industry grappling with fuel-price volatility and geopolitical uncertainty.
Under this strategy, Iberia is investing around 6 billion euros in renewing and expanding its fleet, increasing its long-haul aircraft from 51 to 70, digitizing services, improving the customer experience and opening new intercontinental routes.
“Iberia’s arrival in Toronto is a significant milestone in our international growth and in consolidating Madrid among the world’s leading hubs between Europe and the Americas,” said Juan Cierco, Iberia’s Corporate Director.
“This connection broadens travel options and helps reinforce economic, business and tourism ties linking Canada, Spain and Europe as a whole.”
The new service is backed by Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid, an initiative of the Regional Government of Madrid and Madrid City Council that promotes the capital as a gateway between Europe and the Americas.
Luis Martín, Vice-Minister for Culture, Tourism and Sport for the Madrid Regional Government, noted that the region has become one of Europe’s most competitive destinations, combining culture, sport, gastronomy, leisure and shopping with increasingly distinctive visitor experiences.
He added that exploring areas beyond the city centre gives travellers a broader sense of what the Madrid region has to offer.
For Madrid City Council, Canada — and Toronto in particular — has become a priority source market.
Councillor for Tourism Almudena Maíllo pointed out that Canadian arrivals to Madrid rose by 9.5 per cent in 2026, one of the strongest growth rates among its long-haul markets, and said Torontonians can now fly directly to a city that combines world-class cultural heritage, with a lively, welcoming atmosphere.
From Madrid, Iberia and the broader Iberia Group provide connections to more than 60 cities across Europe and 46 destinations within Spain, underscoring the airport’s status as one of the continent’s main entry points.
The airline’s integrated Train&Fly and Bus&Fly products allow customers to link flights with rail and coach journeys on a single ticket, currently extending access to 14 additional destinations beyond the air network.
Travellers connecting through Madrid can opt into Iberia’s Stopover Hola Madrid programme, which lets them stay in the city for up to nine nights without paying any additional airfare.
Participants receive a complimentary two-day public transport tourist pass and access to a range of offers on hotels, cultural attractions, entertainment and shopping.
In 2025, nearly 40,000 travellers used the programme, a 38 per cent increase over the previous year, highlighting a growing appetite among international passengers to include Madrid as a standalone stop on trips to Europe and other parts of Spain.
In 2026, the airline plans to offer more than 2.2 million seats and up to 170 weekly flights between Spain, the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, representing a seat-capacity increase of nearly 13 per cent compared with the previous year.
