You have to be very brave in the middle of the Corona crisis to found a new airline and want to go long-haul with it. The Spanish tour operator Iberostar, which already has more than 30.000 employees, wants to bring its own airline into the air.

Under the name “World 2 Fly”, the carrier will serve long-haul destinations with the Airbus A350. The group, based on Mallorca, claims that it operates 120 hotels in 19 countries and sees potential in making itself more independent of external airlines. The local daily "Diario de Mallorca" was told that the Dominican Republic, Cuba and Mexico will be among the first destinations.

An Airbus A350 has already been secured and negotiations are in progress for a second, identical long-haul jet. Iberostar is currently aiming for the start-up to take off in March 2021. The focus on the long haul in particular is a bold step, because due to international entry and quarantine guidelines, this segment has been particularly hard hit by the corona crisis. Some of the routes that were once highly profitable can no longer be served at all or are in such low demand that flying makes no economic sense.