Flights to Madrid take off from city airport

A NEW Cardiff Airport to Madrid service made its inaugural flight yesterday.

As part of its summer season schedule, Iberia Express, part of lowcost airline group Iberia Group, launched a twice weekly service between the Welsh and Spanish capitals.

The service will run until April 16 and then recommence from June 8 until September 28. One-way tickets cost from £43. The service will open up connecting services from Madrid to destinations worldwide.

Head of network planning and scheduling at Iberia Express, Alexandra Sabate, said: “This new route from Cardiff to Madrid shows our commitment to the British marketplace and reinforces our presence in the UK.

“Iberia is the only airline that directly connects these two great cities, improving the connectivity of Wales to our extensive network, and offering a variety of destinations at very competitive prices.”

Chief executive of Cardiff Airport, Debra Barber, said: “We’d like to extend a warm, Welsh welcome to our new airline Iberia Express.”

She said the route to Madrid had been highly sought after by passengers for a long time, adding: “Likewise, we look forward to welcoming even more visitors to Spain during what is a very exciting for Wales – the home nation of Real Madrid star player Gareth Bale and host city for the Uefa Champions League Final in June.”

The new service will operate on Thursdays and Sundays.