Air Europa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Air Europa

Founded	1986; 39 years ago (1986)
AOC #	ES.AOC.004
Hubs	Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport
Focus cities	Palma de Mallorca Airport Tenerife North Airport
Frequent-flyer program	Suma
Alliance	SkyTeam
Subsidiaries	Air Europa Express
Fleet size	43
Destinations	44
Parent company	Globalia
Headquarters	Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain
Key people	Juan José Hidalgo, Chairman and CEO
Employees	2,949 (5 March 2014)

Air Europa is a major Spanish airline. It is the third largest airline in Spain. Air Europa's main office is in Llucmajor, Mallorca, Spain.

Its main base for flights is Madrid–Barajas Airport. They also have important operations at Palma de Mallorca Airport and Tenerife North Airport. Air Europa flies to more than 44 places. These include cities in Spain, other parts of Europe, South America, North America, the Caribbean, Morocco, and Tunisia. Since 2007, Air Europa has been part of the SkyTeam group of airlines.

History of Air Europa

Starting the Airline

Air Europa began in 1986. It was first known as Air España SA. The airline was part of a British travel group called ILG-Air Europe Group. Spanish banks owned 75% of the company.

Air Europa first used Boeing 737-300s and Boeing 757s. They flew people on holiday trips from Mediterranean resorts to European cities. It was the first private Spanish company to offer regular flights within Spain. Before this, they mainly flew charter flights for holidays.

Growing and Joining SkyTeam

In 1991, the parent company ILG stopped operating. But Air Europa continued to fly and make a profit. They added more Boeing 737s and 757s to their fleet.

In the late 1990s, Air Europa started using newer Boeing 737-800 jets. They also changed the look of their planes. In 2007, Air Europa officially joined the SkyTeam alliance. This is a group of airlines that work together.

Recent Changes

Air Europa stopped using its last Boeing 767 plane in 2012.

In 2019, Brazil's aviation agency allowed Air Europa to fly domestic routes in Brazil. This was a big step because it was the first time a foreign airline got this permission. Air Europa already flies international routes to Brazil from Madrid.

Plans to Join a Bigger Group

In 2019, a large airline group called International Airlines Group (IAG) wanted to buy Air Europa. IAG owns other airlines like Iberia. The idea was to make Air Europa part of Iberia, but keep the Air Europa name.

The plan was to offer more flights from Madrid to places like Asia. This would also help connect more flights within the IAG group. The Spanish government supported this idea.

However, the deal faced some challenges. The price changed, and there were talks about how it would work. In 2022, IAG bought a 20% share in Air Europa.

In 2023, IAG agreed to buy Air Europa for €400 million. If the deal is approved, Air Europa would leave the SkyTeam alliance. It would then join other IAG airlines as part of the Oneworld alliance. Regulators in Europe are currently reviewing the deal. They want to make sure it does not reduce competition too much.

Where Air Europa Flies

Air Europa flies holiday trips between northern and western Europe and the Canary Islands and Balearic Islands. They also have regular flights within Spain. From Madrid, they fly long-distance routes to North America and South America. Their main base is Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas Airport.

Airlines They Work With

As of August 2021, Air Europa shares flights with these airlines:

Air Europa's Planes

An Air Europa Boeing 787-8 plane.

An Air Europa Boeing 737-800 with a special SkyTeam design.

An Air Europa Embraer 195 in an older paint design.

Current Planes

As of January 2024, Air Europa uses only Boeing planes for its main flights. This does not include planes used by its smaller airline, Air Europa Express.

Past Planes

Air Europa has used these types of planes in the past:

See Also

In Spanish: Air Europa para niños

• Air Europe (1979–1991)
• Air Europe (Italy) (1989–2008)
• List of airlines of Spain
• Transport in Spain