The president of Iberia, Luis Gallego, stressed that the purchase of Air Europa by Iberia is “an opportunity for Madrid and Spain”, and added that the operation, which is pending approval by the competition authorities, “will get Madrid to become a hub of first division", during his speech at the CEOE-CEPYME Business Meeting.
In this meeting, which was held today in Madrid under the title 'Madrid, from a hub for Latin America to a global hub', Luis Gallego also stressed that “IAG's vocation is to develop its investments”, as it has done previously with other companies acquired by the group. In addition, he has stated that this purchase “will continue to help Spain generate employment and tourism", And stressed that" the best way to protect employment is to have strong companies. "
Coinciding with the celebration of the COP25 Climate Summit in Madrid, Gallego has also referred to the sustainability of the airline. In this regard, he has assured that there will be a “new sustainable and efficient fleet, which benefits the customer and low emissions" In addition, he has ensured that air traffic accounts for “2.5% of global CO2 emissions”, and has stated that “not all destinations have a possible alternative” to air transport.
Regarding the situation of international air market competition in Spain after the operation, once it is completed, Gallego has stressed that “it will continue to be very competitive”, since Ryanair has 22%, compared to 19% that the IAG group would reach after the purchase of Air Europa.
Regarding intermodality with the AVE, Luis Gallego has stated that “The high speed has to be at the airport”, since getting “having the train connected to the hub would be a great improvement”. He also mentioned the Single European Sky, "a project that would enable greater efficiency, much more efficient routes, less fuel consumed and less CO2 emitted".
For his part, the CEO of CEOE, Antonio Garamendi, stressed that "Iberia is an example of our country's ambassador at all levels."
Finally, Gerardo Cuerva, president of CEPYME, has closed the meeting, thanking the sponsoring companies – Cuatrecasas and Hewlett Packard Enterprise – to make these meetings possible, and has indicated that Iberia's projects “are long-term projects, projects of country, strategic ”, while ensuring that“ SMEs need large tractor companies in Spain to carry out our activity ”.
With these meetings, the two business organizations promote a new space to exchange ideas and experiences that explain how leaders and companies have faced the challenges demanded by globalization and innovation.