Editing Iberia (airline) (section)

===Development since the 1990s===
In the 1990s, Iberia followed a policy of buying shares of Latin American flag carriers. It intended to dominate the entire Latin American market and become one of the largest airlines on the worldwide scene.<ref name="EE">{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1993/04/12/economia/734565608_850215.html|title=Entre el sueño y la pesadilla|last=Comas|first=José|date=12 April 1993|work=El País}}</ref>

The investments started in June 1990 with the buying of a 30% stake in [[Aerolíneas Argentinas|Aerolineas Argentinas]].<ref name="EE" /> In 1991, Iberia bought a 45% stake in [[Viasa]] for $81&nbsp;million<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1991/08/10/economia/681775203_850215.html|title=Iberia se adjudica la aerolínea venezolana Viasa tras la retirada de la holandesa KLM|last=El País|date=10 August 1991|work=EL PAÍS|access-date=24 October 2017|language=es}}</ref> and a 35% stake in Chilean [[Ladeco]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1991/04/16/economia/671752813_850215.html|title=lberia compra el 35% de la compañía aérea chilena Ladeco|last=El País|date=16 April 1991|work=EL PAÍS|access-date=24 October 2017|language=es}}</ref> The airline continued making progress in setting up Europe's first international airline [[Frequent flyer|frequent-flyer programme]] in 1991, with the creation of ''Iberia Plus.''

In 1994, the poor results of Aerolineas Argentinas, which presented a positive balance in its commercial exploitation but hid a significant deficit with losses in non-operating activities, led Iberia to increase its ownership participation to 85%.<ref name="DR">{{cite journal|last=Castaño Guillén|first=Julián|year=2006|title=La dirección de resultados en las empresas privatizadas. 10.7.2.- Privatización de Aerolíneas Argentinas|url=https://es.scribd.com/document/352933410/La-Direccion-de-Resultados-en-Las-Empresas-Privatizadas|journal=Department of Financial Economy and Account|publisher=University of Extremadura|pages=200–203}}</ref> With this increase in participation, the Argentine state renounced its "[[golden share]]", allowing Iberia to have full fiscal control of the company. Iberia began a reduction in the size of the company, a liquidation of the national and overseas offices, and the technical sale of its entire fleet composed of 28 aircraft in a ''"sale and lease back"'' operation.<ref name="DR" /> Argentine sources indicate that the purchase capital of Aerolíneas Argentinas was charged to its financial liability.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/340078-una-privatizacion-marcada-por-los-conflictos-y-las-denuncias|title=Una privatización marcada por los conflictos y las denuncias|date=3 October 2001|work=La Nación|language=es}} {{dead link|date=August 2024 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes}}</ref> This, together with the aforementioned sales, generated a big controversy, giving rise to criticism of the Argentine government for the privatization of the company. The truth is that during the period that Aerolíneas Argentinas was owned by Iberia (1990–1995), the Spanish airline allocated more than 1,200&nbsp;million dollars to the Argentine flag carrier and kept the airline operating despite the poor results.<ref name="DR" /> Meanwhile, the Argentine government refused to invest more capital and expressed its desire to get rid of a large part of its shares.<ref name="EE" /> Iberia carried out major reforms in the structure of the company, which by that date was outdated with, among other things, extortionate personnel costs.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cev.es/web-cev/WCEV.nsf/(All)/80FBC81FC10C7C14C12576FF003B01AE/$File/prensa0826_149.pdf|title=Una aventura fracasada|last=Mülller|first=John|date=8 April 2010|work=El Mundo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411104722/http://www.cev.es/web-cev/WCEV.nsf/(All)/80FBC81FC10C7C14C12576FF003B01AE/$File/prensa0826_149.pdf|archive-date=11 April 2010|url-status=dead|language=es}}</ref> Some of these changes included the development of a free booking program, the complete computerization of the management system, the introduction of business class on domestic flights, and the creation of a new hub in [[Ministro Pistarini International Airport|Ezeiza International Airport]] for long range regional flights to Latin American destinations.<ref name="DR" /> In 1995, before the process of privatization of Iberia, Aerolineas Argentinas was transferred to the Spanish government through [[Instituto Nacional de Industria|INI]], which would later become [[Sociedad Estatal de Participaciones Industriales|SEPI]]. In 2001, the Argentine flag carrier was sold to the Spanish company [[Grupo Marsans]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/339908-sepi-adjudico-aerolineas-argentinas-al-grupo-marsans|title=SEPI adjudicó Aerolíneas Argentinas al grupo Marsans|date=2 October 2001|work=La Nación|language=es|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201033146/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/339908-sepi-adjudico-aerolineas-argentinas-al-grupo-marsans|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In 2008, the president of Argentina [[Cristina Fernández de Kirchner]] expropriated the company from Grupo Marsans for the symbolic price of 1 [[Argentine peso]] ($0.57) and renationalized the airline.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1081917-a-18-anos-de-su-privatizacion-aerolineas-vuelve-al-estado|title=A 18 años de su privatización, Aerolíneas vuelve al Estado|last=Botinelli|first=Agustín|date=18 December 2008|work=La Nación|access-date=24 November 2017|archive-date=1 July 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170701112654/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/1081917-a-18-anos-de-su-privatizacion-aerolineas-vuelve-al-estado|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 2017, the [[International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes|ICSID]] ordered Argentina to pay 320&nbsp;million dollars to Grupo Marsans for having paid a lower price than the real value of the company.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.abc.es/economia/abci-argentina-condenada-pagar-320-millones-dolares-marsans-expropiacion-aerolineas-201707221752_noticia.html|title=Argentina, condenada a pagar 320 millones de dólares a Marsans por la expropiación de Aerolíneas|date=22 July 2017|work=ABC|language=es-ES}}</ref> On 7 April 2010, the president of the [[Court of Accounts (Spain)|Spanish Court of Auditors]] presented at the Spanish Parliament the figures of the investment in Aerolíneas Argentinas between 1990 and 2001, which was estimated at €2,100&nbsp;million.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.cev.es/web-cev/WCEV.nsf/(All)/80FBC81FC10C7C14C12576FF003B01AE/$File/prensa0826_149.pdf|title=2.100 millones perdidos en Aerolíneas|last=Yanel|first=Agustín|date=8 April 2010|work=El Mundo|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100411104722/http://www.cev.es/web-cev/WCEV.nsf/(All)/80FBC81FC10C7C14C12576FF003B01AE/$File/prensa0826_149.pdf|archive-date=11 April 2010|url-status=dead|language=es}}</ref>

The plans to make the Iberia group the dominant airline in the Latin American market also failed in Venezuela. In 1997, the board of directors of [[Viasa]], in which Iberia was the majority, decided to suspend the flights of the company, arguing that the situation was unfeasible.<ref name="VV">{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1997/01/24/economia/854060406_850215.html|title=Iberia decide que su filial venezolana Viasa deje de volar|last1=Cebrián Echarri|first1=Belén|date=24 January 1997|work=El País|last2=Vinogradoff|first2=Ludmila|language=es}}</ref> Iberia announcing that the company was not going to continue providing more capital into Viasa if its local partner, the Venezuelan state-owned group FIV, was not going to do the same. By then Iberia had invested more than 250 million dollars in the Venezuelan flag carrier without having any profit.<ref name="VV" /> In February 1997, the agreement for the liquidation of Viasa that accumulated a 200&nbsp;million dollar debt, with a capital of only 2&nbsp;million dollars, was announced. Iberia and the Venezuelan government had the intention of liquidating the company to avoid [[bankruptcy]]. Iberia offered to write off the 150&nbsp;million dollar debt that Viasa had accumulated to the Spanish carrier in exchange for keeping its fleet of four DC-10s and five Boeing 727s. The agreement included compensation for the staff after the liquidation, which had a cost of 20&nbsp;million dollars.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1997/02/19/economia/856306807_850215.html|title=Gobierno venezolano da marcha atrás y decide liquidar Viasa|last1=Cebrián Echarri|first1=Belén|date=19 February 1997|work=El País|last2=Vinogradoff|first2=Ludmila|language=es}}</ref>

Regarding [[Ladeco]], Iberia was a minority shareholder (35%) and did not intervene in its management. Initially, Iberia had the intention of achieving the merger of Ladeco with [[LAN Chile]], but Chilean antitrust laws prevented it.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1997/02/03/economia/854924409_850215.html|title=Viasa, el último lío|last=Cebrián Echarri|first=Belén|date=3 February 1997|work=EL País|language=es}}</ref> Later, in 1995, LAN Chile made a major acquisition of Ladeco shares and acquired 57.6% of the company, this operation was approved by the Chilean antitrust prosecution,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1995/08/25/economia/809301603_850215.html|title=Lan Chile compra la mayoría de Ladeco|last=El País|date=25 August 1995|language=es}}</ref> and then began a merger process in which Iberia lost some rights acquired during its time as shareholder of Ladeco. In 1997, Iberia sold its shares in Ladeco.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://elpais.com/diario/1997/04/09/economia/860536810_850215.html|title=Iberia venderá su 38% en Ladeco|last=El País|date=9 April 1997|language=es}}</ref>

In 1996, the airline launched its [[website]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.iberia.com/web/webPartners.do?service=/web/showPartner.do&language=es&menuId=WPVUEL&idPartner=712|title=Descripción de empresa – Iberia|website=www.iberia.com|language=es|access-date=25 November 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201034154/http://www.iberia.com/web/webPartners.do?service=%2Fweb%2FshowPartner.do&language=es&menuId=WPVUEL&idPartner=712|archive-date=1 December 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref>

The company ordered 76 aircraft from [[Airbus]] in February 1998, which at the time was the largest single Airbus order. The following year it bought Aviaco and inherited that airline's fleet.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1998/02/04/business/international-business-airbus-wins-4-billion-order-from-iberia-beating-boeing.html|title=International Business; Airbus Wins $4&nbsp;Billion Order From Iberia, Beating Boeing|last=Tagliabue|first=John|date=4 February 1998|work=The New York Times}}</ref>

By the end of the '90s, Iberia owned as majority shareholder the Spanish airlines [[Aviaco]], [[Viva Air]], [[Binter Canarias]] and [[Binter Mediterraneo|Binter Mediterráneo]], and Latin American airlines [[Aerolíneas Argentinas]], [[Austral Líneas Aéreas|Austral]], [[Viasa]] and [[Ladeco]].<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ymIXLhegGnwC&pg=PA261|title=Encyclopedia of Contemporary Spanish Culture|last=J. Rodgers|first=Eamonn|publisher=Routledge|year=1999|isbn=0415131871|location=London|page=261}}</ref>

During 2001, Iberia was [[Privatisation|privatised]] and its shares were listed on stock exchanges. By 2002, when Iberia celebrated its 75th anniversary, it had carried nearly 500&nbsp;million people in its history.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.elalmanaque.com/turismo/iberia/iberia1.htm |title=GrupIberia: Más de 75 años volando  |publisher=Iberia |access-date=1 February 2017}}</ref> In July 2004, Iberia announced it had decided to move its Latin American hub from [[Miami]], Florida to [[San Pedro Sula]], Honduras.

On 5 February 2006, Terminal 4 at [[Madrid - Barajas Airport]] was turned over to Iberia and fellow [[Oneworld]] alliance members. This provided much-needed expansion capabilities for Iberia. Iberia represents around 60% of the airport's traffic. In 2005, the airline and its regional branch [[Air Nostrum]] transported 21,619,041 passengers via Madrid – Barajas Airport.

In November 2006, Iberia launched [[Clickair]], a [[low-cost carrier]] subsidiary. Clickair merged with [[Vueling]] in 2009.

On 12 November 2009, Iberia confirmed that it had reached a preliminary agreement to merge with [[British Airways]].<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2009/nov/12/ba-shares-increase-iberia-merger|title=BA merger with Iberia agreed|last=Milmo|first=Dan|date=12 November 2009|work=The Guardian|access-date=6 November 2017|issn=0261-3077}}</ref> The merger between the two carriers would create the world's third-largest airline in terms of revenue.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/6557766/BA-Iberia-4.4bn-merger-creates-Europes-third-largest-airline.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220112/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/newsbysector/transport/6557766/BA-Iberia-4.4bn-merger-creates-Europes-third-largest-airline.html |archive-date=12 January 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=BA-Iberia £4.4bn merger creates Europe's third-largest airline|last=Osborne|first=Alistair|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|date=13 November 2009|access-date=6 November 2017|issn=0307-1235}}{{cbignore}}</ref> On 8 April 2010, it was confirmed that British Airways and Iberia had agreed to a merger, forming the [[International Airlines Group]], although each airline would continue to operate under its current brand.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.ft.com/content/ec3ffa1c-42d5-11df-96c4-00144feab49a |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221210/https://www.ft.com/content/ec3ffa1c-42d5-11df-96c4-00144feab49a |archive-date=10 December 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live|title=BA and Iberia sign merger agreement|last1=Mulligan|first1=Mark|date=8 April 2010|work=Financial Times|access-date=6 November 2017|last2=Clark|first2=Pilita Clark}}</ref>

In November 2012, Iberia announced plans to reduce the number of employees by 4,500 and its fleet by five long-haul and 20 short-haul aircraft.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/iberia-to-cut-4500-staff-and-reduce-fleet-by-25-aircraft-378758/ |title=Iberia to cut 4,500 staff and reduce fleet by 25 aircraft |publisher=Flightglobal.com |access-date=3 April 2013}}</ref>

In 2012, Iberia established another low-cost airline, [[Iberia Express]], which operates short and medium-haul routes from its parent airline's Madrid hub, providing feeder flights onto Iberia's long-haul network. The airline began operating on 25 March 2012 and shares its head office with Iberia in [[Chamartín (Madrid)|Chamartín]], Madrid.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/business-17496003|title=Spanish new low-cost airline Iberia Express launched|date=25 March 2012|work=BBC News|access-date=3 September 2017}}</ref> In 2013, the headquarters of both airlines were moved to a new office in Ciudad Lineal, Madrid, and the corporate images have been changed as part of the renewal process.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.madridiario.es/noticia/404836/transportes/iberia-renueva-su-imagen-corporativa.html|title=Iberia renueva su imagen corporativa|last=Madridiario|work=Madridiario|access-date=6 November 2017|language=es}}</ref>

In 2023, Iberia announced its return to Tokyo's [[Narita International Airport]] in October 2024 following its withdrawal in 2020 during the [[COVID-19 pandemic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iberia To Return To Tokyo In 2024 After 4-Year Absence |url=https://aviationweek.com/air-transport/airports-networks/iberia-return-tokyo-2024-after-4-year-absence |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=aviationweek.com}}</ref> Iberia first started flights to Tokyo in 1986, and began nonstop flying in 1992, but had previously suspended flights between 1998 and 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Iberia returns to Tokyo with the A350 |url=https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2023/12/19/iberia-returns-to-tokyo-with-the-a350/ |access-date=2023-12-28 |website=Business Traveller |language=en-GB}}</ref>