The DC-9 Martín Alonso Pinzón made its final flight for
The DC-9 “Martín Alonso Pinzón” made its final flight for
Iberia’s first DC-9 was delivered in June, 1967 and was christened “Villa de Madrid”. In the subsequent 34 years all these aircraft were named for Spanish cities and historical figures.
The importance of this aircraft to Iberia is reflected by the total of 47 DC-9s the Company has used. It was the third jet aircraft flown by the Spanish airline Iberia, after the DC-8 and the Caravelle. It was used on Iberia’s first routes to Eastern Europe Warsaw, Budapest, and later Moscow. Iberia’s DC-9 fleet recorded a total of 1,971,762 flying hours and 1,941,004 takeoffs and landings.
Manufactured by McDonnell Douglas Corporation, Iberia’s DC-9s, used for short- and medium-range flights, are 36.37 m long, with a wingspan of 28.47 m., a range of up to 2,700 km, and 110 seats. For many years they made the run between the Balearic Islands and the mainland, as well as inter-island flights.
These aircraft have been replaced by Airbus A-320s and McDonnell Douglas MD-87s, two of the most modern planes for covering short and medium distances.
The replacement comes under Iberia’s sweeping fleet renewal program, launched in 1998 and intended to homogenize the fleet, now comprising the latest and best aircraft, featuring reduced fuel consumption and lower operating and maintenance costs.
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