It is the same old story at Iberia. The airline continues to operate without solving old problems. Iberia's CEO, Antonio Vázquez, is going through another rough time that is putting him against the ropes and could lose his spot at terminal four, where the company operates most of the counters, VIP waiting rooms and Puente Aéreo services.
What was simply some small print in an administrative act could put an end to its lease contract that expires in February 2014 for the bad blood between Aena and Iberia.
The reality is that Aena and Iberia have been butting heads for a long time. The dispute is heating up now because the Documento de Registro International Consolidated Airlines, a report built by Spain's stock market regulator the CNMV before the merger with British Airways in order to create the holding company IAG. According to the report, Iberia is not the only airline that can use Terminal 4. Aena CEO José Manuel Vargas is sick and tired of dealing with Iberia's problems with his employees, Willie Walsh and the Ministry of Public Works. He could use this card to deal with Aena?s bad results.
This year, the public airline manager expects a 7.5% drop in passengers. If Iberia closes have of its ticket counters closes because of slow business, it's logical that the Ministry of Public Works will try to re-evaluate the airline?s system given that Spanish tax dollars are at work. Other companies are interested in Terminal 4, which could boost business at Barajas airport.