Air Nostrum, Iberia’s franchise airline for regional flights, inaugurated this Friday its flights between Madrid and Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell, thereby ending almost four decades without regular connections from this airport to others in Spain.
The company had been awarded the contract in the tender held by the Government of Andorra, and although the planned commencement date was mid-January, it was brought forward in order to attract Christmas traffic, with special operations on Sunday 19th, Thursday 23rd, Sunday 26th, Thursday 30th, Sunday 2nd January, Thursday 6th and Sunday 9th. From January 14 onwards, flights will be operated on Fridays and Sundays, departing from Madrid at 14:30 and from Andorra at 16:50. They will be carried out in ATR 72-600 aircraft with a capacity for 70 passengers. The agreement is, in principle, for one year.
These flights open up an important array of connectivity for Andorra, allowing passengers to reach 81 domestic, European, and intercontinental destinations through Iberia’s hub in Barajas.
As detailed by the company in a press release, bookings in the first three weeks of operation show a 41% occupancy rate, which is to be expected given the current health context. Connections to and from Gran Canaria, Nice, Menorca, Rome, and Vigo stand out particularly.
«We are starting this adventure hand in hand with a leading company in the field of regional flights and we are convinced that we could not have had a better travel companion for this project,» said Jordi Gallardo, Minister of the Presidency, Economy and Enterprise of the Government of Andorra.
Meanwhile, Raquel Sánchez, Spain’s Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, said that «this new air connection is just perfect, it’s designed to bring the two territories closer together, and moreover, has involved the joint participation of the public and private sectors».
«It has been the joint effort of many that have allowed us to be here today inaugurating this new Air Nostrum connection and I would like to thank them: the Ministry of Transport, Aeroports de Catalunya, the Government of Andorra, the Community of Madrid, Madrid city, Iberia and, of course, our passengers,» concluded Juan Corral, Commercial Director of Air Nostrum.
The Andorra-La Seu d’Urgell airport is located in Alto Urgel, in the province of Lleida, 17 kilometers from the border with Andorra, and is operated by Aeroports de Catalunya. A shuttle service between the airport and the Principality of Andorra is provided by Autocars Nadal, coordinating the arrival and departure with Air Nostrum’s flight schedules.
