IBERIA
(Spain)

The huge passenger number increase of the 1960s forced Iberia to order a pair of Boeing 747-100, which were later replaced by aircraft of the -200 series and supplemented by Douglas trijets in 1973, which formed the main long-haul fleet. As a long-time Douglas costumer, Iberia also already operated DC-8s and DC-9s. The new DC-jet was mainly used on the routes to the Americas, Africa and the Middle East. Iberia was the first airline to loose a DC-10-30 in a crash as EC-CBN was lost less than a year after its delivery on approach to Boston, killing a passenger. The final delivery on June 23rd 1980 brought the fleet to eight aircraft at that moment, although the all-time fleet includes twelve DC-10s as a result of leases and the integration of three ex-VIASA aircraft in 1998. Iberia finally phased out its DC-10 fleet in 2000 and replaced it with A340-300, while the A320 is becoming the backbone of the short-haul fleet, supplementing the 757. MD-80, A300 and 747-200 aircraft are also operated, but these will also leave the fleet soon. Although Iberia lost a DC-10 very early, Iberia was one of the most profilic DC-10 operators of the world and a good example how DC-10s were used on a worldwide network.
 

Previous airline: Hawaiian Airlines		Next airline: Icelandair