PRESS RELEASE: LEVEL CONSOLIDATES ITS POSITION AT THE JOSEP TARRADELLES BARCELONA-EL PRAT AIRPORT

• Level will connect Barcelona-New York with three weekly flights with an Airbus 330-200.

• This route will stimulate a total traffic flow of 529,773 annual passengers who flew between Barcelona and New York in 2018.

• Level is committed to its Base in Barcelona where it has a close relationship with other companies in the IAG group.

Barcelona, July 29, 2019 – Barcelona-New York (JFK) is the new route that the company LEVEL will operate. The city of New York is a very important destination for Barcelona and stands fifth in intercontinental origin/destination from Barcelona with 117,754 indirect passengers not served.

The US Market for Barcelona

During 2018 there were a total of 529,773 passengers, 78% of whom travelled on a direct flight and the route showed a growth of 20% over the previous year. The percentage of passengers flying in business class is around 8%.

The total volume of passengers between Barcelona and the United States doubled in the period 2014-2018 from 1 to 2 million passengers with an annual growth rate of 19%.

There are currently 5 airlines operating flights between Barcelona and the United States: Level, Norwegian, American, United, and Delta.

The strategic value of Level for Barcelona

The company LEVEL, with this new route, is committed to its base in Barcelona, ​​where it currently has three A330-300 aircraft that enable it to offer the intercontinental destinations of Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, San Francisco, and Boston.

LEVEL started operating in Barcelona in June 2017. It is a company within the IAG group with a new business model. One of their objectives is to make long-haul flights available with a competitive pricing policy for all purses. They make the latest technology available with a passenger service to suit their needs where it is possible to choose all the services they offer. It is aimed at a leisure market with a strategy of fewer frequencies per week than traditional airlines, which allows them to increase the number of destinations.

From the Barcelona Airport Routes Development Committee (BARDC) , the commitment to the territory on behalf of the company LEVEL – part of the IAG group focused on long-haul flights which is complemented by Vueling as a company also based in Barcelona – is met with great satisfaction. The cooperation between the two companies benefits the local community and helps Barcelona in its HUB position.

The route will include the following itinerary:

Barcelona – New York     BCN-JFK       IB2627 19:10 (LT) – 22:00

Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

New York  – Barcelona   JFK-BCN        IB2628 23:45 (LT) – 13:30

Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays

Close relationship between Catalonia and the United States

23% (8,468) of the 37,301 United States residents in Spain live in Catalonia, almost the same volume as in Madrid. The main profiles are students, qualified professionals, and/or relatives, according to data from the INE 2018.

Likewise, more than 1,300,000 United States Tourists had Catalonia as the main destination with an average expenditure of € 2,430 per person.

Catalan exports represent 21% of exports from Spain to the United States while imports account for 19.2%. There are 840 Catalan subsidiaries established in the United States and 1,020 American subsidiaries established in Catalonia.

Source: BARDC / July 2019

Barcelona Air Route Development Committee

promotes Barcelona Airport intercontinental flight