Iberia inaugurates flights between Madrid and Doha, in Qatar, with the support of Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid

The establishment of these flights also represents an important commitment in the opposite direction, with the aim of turning Madrid's hub into the gateway to Asia to Spain and the rest of Europe. 

"This is not only the launch of a new route, something that always fills us with excitement, but we are opening the door to and from Asia, a very extensive continent, which will mean a wide range of options to increase and diversify connectivity and, with it, tourism and business," said Fernando Candela, Iberia's chairman.

Qatar Airways Chief Commercial Officer Thierry Antinori said: "We are taking off into a new era of air connectivity for Spain; we are delighted to welcome Iberia to the best airport in the Middle East, Hamad International Airport, voted by Skytrax as 'Best Airport in the Middle East' for the ninth time. As part of the unique partnership between Qatar Airways, British Airways and Iberia, passengers can enjoy the best service on the ground and in the air, while connecting seamlessly to their favourite destinations. This further strengthens Qatar as a destination of choice in the region, and Hamad International Airport as a global connector and one of the oneworld alliance's major gateways, with 10 of the 13 members operating by 2024.

Daniel Martínez, Deputy Minister of Culture, Tourism and Sport of the Community of Madrid, said: "With this route, one of the objectives of the Madrid Executive, which is to attract Asian and Middle Eastern tourism, is fulfilled. This traveller is characterised by being a high-value long-stay visitor. In addition, with these new flights we are seeking to recover and even increase the figures prior to the pandemic".

Almudena Maíllo, Councillor for Tourism of Madrid City Council, agreed on the great importance of the establishment of these flights that start today: "With this connection, Madrid takes a qualitative leap in strategic promotion as we open wide the route to the Middle East. Above all, taking into account the potential of the area: all the economies of the Gulf region grew by more than 4% in 2022 and growth of more than 1% is expected in the coming years. In fact, improving this connectivity allows us to return to the Asia Plan, which we launched in March at the Madrid City Tourism Forum, and to consolidate our commitment to reaffirm ourselves as the best hub in southern Europe".

In the words of Yolanda Perdomo, director of Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid, "this action to promote Madrid's air connectivity is accompanied by a promotional campaign to encourage demand from countries such as the Republic of Korea, China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates and Qatar. This initiative, implemented by Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid, consists of B2C and B2B actions to increase Madrid's visibility and strengthen its tourism positioning in these markets. The actions underway include a digital marketing campaign with Asian celebrities, such as actors, singers and globally renowned content creators, communication campaign on major digital platforms, social networks and local media, co-marketing with travel agencies in the premium segment and paid media, as well as radio, cable TV and outdoor campaign."

Madrid Turismo by IFEMA Madrid has a total budget of 36 million euros to invest in promotional actions at source until December 2024. The aim of this initiative is to position Madrid as a major holiday and cultural destination among long-haul outbound markets, consolidating the lifestyle as a major differentiating aspect of Madrid with respect to its competing destinations.

A daily flight