Iberia vs Air Europa in Latin America: two to tango, as Air Europa expands, Iberia contracts

Air Europa has been talking up its ambitions in Latin America. It has firm orders for eight Boeing 787 aircraft, but its president Juan Jose Hidalgo recently said it will eventually have up to 22 of the type by 2020-2022. He plans to deploy them on Latin American routes. These could include Mexico City, Bogota, Cartagena and Quito.

Currently, Iberia is the leader on all three routes to Latin America where it competes with Air Europa and is number one overall on Spain to LatAm. However, Air Europa has been picking up routes dropped by its larger rival and Mr Hidalgo says it plans "to fly all the destinations that Iberia flies to". The pendulum is swinging towards Air Europa in much of the region outside Central America. Iberia has abandoned the Caribbean altogether.

Air Europa has a unit cost advantage and ambitions to grow. This poses a credible threat to Iberia's Latin American network. Iberia's cost restructuring will have to succeed if it is to avoid a further dulling of its brightest network jewel.