• Airplane model will be in use from December 18 to March 28.
• Iberia is the first airline to fly to the country with this plane, the most advanced model on the market, with 25 percent lower fuel consumption.

Iberia will fly its new Airbus A350 to Costa Rica on the San José-Madrid route beginning on December 18 to March 28. The airline referred to the announcement as a new commitment to Costa Rica.

Iberia will become the first airline to fly to Costa Rica using the Airbus A350/900, a model with:

• Improved structure and aerodynamics
• A range of 14,800 km with 25% lower fuel consumption, meaning 25% lower carbon emissions.
• 75% of its structure is made up of carbon fiber, glass, titanium and aluminum alloys, which reduces the plane’s weight.
• Three cabins and 348 seats: 31 in business class, 24 in the new Premium Economy cabin and 293 in Economy.

“The operations will go on for about three months (subject to government approval), which will allow the airline to build awareness among its clientèle of the incredible benefits this plane offers, as well as the new Premium Economy cabin it is equipped with”, Iberia announced.

The Minister of Tourism, Maria Amalia Revelo, and the President of Iberia, Luis Gallego, signed an agreement earlier this year to promote Costa Rica in Europe. The Costa Rican Tourism Board will develop a joint promotional campaign for the destination. The cooperation with Iberia will last for three years.

Some 480,000 European tourists visited Costa Rica in 2018, 69,000 of whom were Spanish nationals, according to official data. Observation of flora and fauna is a top choice that Spaniards enjoy (89%) in Costa Rica, as well as sun and beach activities (87%), seeing volcanoes (73%) and hiking (63%), according to multiple-choice questionnaires completed by visitors to the country.