Vueling facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Vueling

Founded	10 February 2004; 21 years ago (2004-02-10)
Commenced operations	1 July 2004; 21 years ago (2004-07-01)
Operating bases	List of bases Alicante Amsterdam Barcelona (main) Bilbao Florence Gran Canaria Ibiza (seasonal) London–Gatwick Málaga Palma de Mallorca Paris–Orly Rome–Fiumicino Santiago de Compostela Seville Tenerife–North Valencia
Frequent-flyer program	Vueling Club (Avios affiliate)
Fleet size	136
Destinations	99
Parent company	IAG (97.52%)
Headquarters	Viladecans, Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain
Key people	Carolina Martinoli (Chairman & CEO)
Revenue	€1,016 million (2021)
Operating income	€181.1 million (2017)
Net income	€117.2 million (2017)
Total assets	€1,509.9 million (2017)
Total equity	€237.2 million (2012)
Employees	3,189

Vueling S.A. is a Spanish airline that offers flights at lower prices. It is based near Barcelona, Spain. Vueling is the biggest airline in Spain. This is true when you look at how many planes they have and how many places they fly to.

As of 2021, Vueling flies to 122 different places. These destinations are in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. In 2019, Vueling carried over 34 million passengers. Since 2013, Vueling has been part of a larger company called International Airlines Group (IAG). IAG also owns other well-known airlines like British Airways and Iberia.

Vueling's Story

How Vueling Started

Vueling began on February 10, 2004. Its first flight took off on July 1, 2004. This flight went from Barcelona–El Prat Airport to Ibiza Airport. At first, Vueling had only two Airbus A320 planes. These planes flew from Barcelona to places like Brussels, Ibiza, Palma de Mallorca, and Paris-CDG.

The name "Vueling" comes from a mix of words. It combines the Spanish word vuelo (which means "flight") with the English ending -ing.

Growing the Airline

In 2005, Madrid became Vueling's second main base. A base is like a home airport for an airline. In 2007, Vueling opened its first base outside Spain in Paris. Later, in December 2009, Seville also became a Vueling base.

Joining Forces with Clickair

In June 2008, Vueling and another Spanish low-cost airline, Clickair, decided to merge. Merging meant they would become one bigger airline. This helped them compete better in Spain's busy airline market. It also helped them deal with high fuel costs.

The new airline kept the Vueling name. The merger was completed on July 15, 2009. All Clickair flights and planes became part of Vueling. This made Vueling the second-largest Spanish airline. In 2009, it flew 8.2 million passengers to almost 50 places.

Fun Plane Designs

Vueling Airbus A320-214 in MTV Livery at Paris-CDG, France (2008)

In 2009, Vueling worked with MTV for the summer. Two of Vueling's A320 planes were painted with cool MTV designs. The inside of the planes also had some MTV style. These designs were created by Custo Dalmau. The special paint was removed at the end of 2009. One plane was repainted with an MTV design again in 2010. In 2011, it had a design based on the DJ David Guetta. These special designs are no longer on the planes.

More Growth and New Bases

In November 2010, Vueling announced a new base in Toulouse, France. This base opened in April 2011 but has since closed. In December 2010, they also announced a new base in Amsterdam, which opened in April 2011.

In January 2011, Vueling added nine more planes to its fleet. This included some Airbus A319 aircraft. More planes meant Vueling could fly to even more places.

On March 21, 2012, Vueling announced a new base in Rome. This base started with one plane. Since then, Vueling has added many new routes from Rome. On December 5, 2012, Vueling opened a new base in Florence. They based one plane there and added four new European destinations.

Since November 2013, Vueling has continued to grow from its main hub in Barcelona. A hub is a central airport where many flights connect. In November 2013, Vueling also announced a new base in Brussels. They added seven new destinations from Brussels. Rome-Fiumicino became Vueling's second-largest hub after Barcelona in mid-2014.

In July 2016, Vueling had many flight delays and cancellations. This led to an investigation by Spanish authorities. Vueling also stopped flights to some airports like Sheremetyevo International Airport and Vilnius Airport. In October 2016, Vueling closed its bases in Brussels, Catania, and Palermo as part of changes to the company.

In 2020, Vueling announced new routes. These included flights from Paris to Dubrovnik, Croatia. They also added flights from Seville to Marrakech, Morocco. In December 2024, Vueling announced flights between Florence and Brussels starting in April 2025. These flights use their Airbus A319 planes.

On July 23, 2025, a group of 52 young passengers and their teacher were asked to leave a Vueling flight in Valencia. Vueling stated that the group was causing a lot of disruption. They said the passengers repeatedly touched the plane's emergency equipment. They also interrupted the crew's safety demonstration. The airline staff had warned them multiple times about their behavior. When the group continued, the local police were called to help.

How Vueling Works

Business Information

Here's a look at how Vueling has grown over the years:

Vueling Joins IAG

Vueling's former head office in El Prat de Llobregat, Spain

In November 2012, International Airlines Group (IAG) wanted to buy more of Vueling. IAG already owned part of Vueling through its airline, Iberia. IAG wanted Vueling to help Iberia make more money.

Vueling's shareholders were asked to accept IAG's offer. On March 27, 2013, IAG offered more money for each share. Vueling's shares quickly went up in value. On April 9, 2013, Vueling's board agreed to IAG's new offer. IAG's CEO, Willie Walsh, said that Vueling would stay a separate company within the IAG group.

On April 23, 2013, IAG officially took control of Vueling. Vueling's CEO now reports directly to the IAG CEO.

Vueling Club: Earn Points for Flights

Vueling has a program for frequent flyers called Vueling Club. This program lets members earn and use points called Avios. You can use Avios for flights or discounts on Vueling and other IAG airlines. These include Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, and Level. You can also use them for flights with Oneworld airline partners.

Vueling Club replaced Vueling's old program, Punto, on October 27, 2017. Punto also allowed members to earn and use points for Vueling flights.

Where Vueling Flies

Countries where Vueling operates as of April 2025

Vueling flies to many places across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East.

Partner Airlines

Vueling works with other airlines through "codeshare agreements." This means they can sell tickets on each other's flights. Vueling has these agreements with:

• Aer Lingus
• British Airways
• Iberia
• Level
• LATAM Brasil
• Qatar Airways
• TUI Airways

Vueling's Planes

Vueling Airbus A321-200

As of August 2025, Vueling uses only Airbus A320 family planes. Here are the types of planes they have:

In July 2025, it was announced that Vueling will start using Boeing 737 MAX planes. Their parent company, IAG, ordered 50 of these planes for Vueling. These new planes will replace some of Vueling's current Airbus planes. They will also help the airline grow its fleet. Eventually, Vueling plans to use only Boeing 737 planes.

See also

In Spanish: Vueling para niños