Fortaleza’s Pinto Martins International Airport performed the traditional water-cannon salute on 21 January 2026 as Iberia’s A321XLR touched down from Madrid, inaugurating a thrice-weekly service that plugs Ceará directly into Europe for the first time since 2019. The narrow-body aircraft, configured with lie-flat business seats, left Barajas at 09:20 local time and arrived on Brazil’s northeast coast 30 minutes ahead of schedule.(fortaleza-airport.com.br)
For mobility managers, the new route is more than a leisure convenience: Fortaleza hosts major wind-power and green-hydrogen projects staffed by Spanish and Brazilian engineers who previously routed via São Paulo or Lisbon. Iberia plans to increase frequency to four weekly rotations in March, leveraging the A321XLR’s long-range economics to serve mid-sized Brazilian cities profitably.
![Iberia’s first Madrid–Fortaleza flight lands, opening Spain–Northeast Brazil corridor]()
Companies arranging frequent travel for these binational teams can streamline visa paperwork through VisaHQ, which offers end-to-end assistance for both Brazilian entry permits and Schengen visas. The platform’s online tools, courier pickup and real-time tracking cut down lead times and administrative headaches for engineers shuttling between Madrid and Fortaleza. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
The carrier’s strategy mirrors its December 2025 launch of Madrid–Recife and positions it against Air France-KLM, TAP and LATAM, all vying for Brazil’s booming northeast outbound market. Ceará’s state government estimates the new flight will inject R$ 120 million into the local economy in 2026 and shorten door-to-door travel times to Madrid’s financial district by up to four hours.
Freight forwarders also benefit: the belly hold offers up to three tonnes of capacity for high-value seafood exports and time-critical aerospace parts produced in the region’s industrial parks. Iberia says preliminary bookings include a “healthy mix” of corporate, VFR (visiting friends and relatives) and leisure travellers.
For mobility managers, the new route is more than a leisure convenience: Fortaleza hosts major wind-power and green-hydrogen projects staffed by Spanish and Brazilian engineers who previously routed via São Paulo or Lisbon. Iberia plans to increase frequency to four weekly rotations in March, leveraging the A321XLR’s long-range economics to serve mid-sized Brazilian cities profitably.
Companies arranging frequent travel for these binational teams can streamline visa paperwork through VisaHQ, which offers end-to-end assistance for both Brazilian entry permits and Schengen visas. The platform’s online tools, courier pickup and real-time tracking cut down lead times and administrative headaches for engineers shuttling between Madrid and Fortaleza. Learn more at https://www.visahq.com/brazil/.
The carrier’s strategy mirrors its December 2025 launch of Madrid–Recife and positions it against Air France-KLM, TAP and LATAM, all vying for Brazil’s booming northeast outbound market. Ceará’s state government estimates the new flight will inject R$ 120 million into the local economy in 2026 and shorten door-to-door travel times to Madrid’s financial district by up to four hours.
Freight forwarders also benefit: the belly hold offers up to three tonnes of capacity for high-value seafood exports and time-critical aerospace parts produced in the region’s industrial parks. Iberia says preliminary bookings include a “healthy mix” of corporate, VFR (visiting friends and relatives) and leisure travellers.
