LEVEL, the long-haul low-cost airline that so far has operated flights under Iberia’s designator code, is planning to become an independent carrier within the International Airlines Group (IAG).

This includes handling its own network, including destinations and frequencies, with LEVEL’s chief executive hinting at more United States-bound flights.

More US flights

In an interview with Spain-based financial publication El Economista, Rafael Jiménez Hoyos, the chief executive officer (CEO) of LEVEL, said that the airline operates seven routes from Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport (BCN), including five US cities.

While new routes are not being planned until 2026, LEVEL plans to increase frequencies, especially on flights to the US, as it prepares to welcome its seventh Airbus A330-200.

Ch-aviation data showed that in addition to the six current A330-200s, the airline has another aircraft of the type that should join its fleet soon.

The aircraft, which was originally delivered to Virgin Australia in June 2012, has been stored since March 2020, when the Australian carrier ended its long-haul venture as it was restructuring during the pandemic.

The A330-200, registered as EC-OHY, was moved to Adolfo Suárez Madrid–Barajas Airport (MAD) in August. Then, the aircraft, which was registered as VP-CAI at the time, arrived from Istanbul Atatürk Airport (ISL), the old airport serving the largest city in Turkey.

Hoyos replaced Fernando Candela as the CEO of LEVEL on October 1. IAG's announcement on September 12 outlined that Candela was retiring, while Hoyos will take over the company as it embarks on an ambitious growth plan, which includes taking delivery of its seventh, and subsequently, eighth A330-200 and obtaining its air operator’s certificate (AOC).

Hoyos told El Economista that the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency (Agencia Estatal de Seguridad Aérea, AESA) should grant LEVEL its AOC in the next few weeks.

Focusing on flights from/to Barcelona

IAG detailed that already in 2024, LEVEL has increased capacity on flights from Barcelona-El Prat to Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), New York John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), and San Francisco International Airport (SFO).

The Spanish airline has also begun flying to Miami International Airport (MIA), with the group, the parent company of such airlines as Aer Lingus, British Airways, Vueling, and the two aforementioned Spanish carriers, emphasizing that LEVEL has approached almost 1 million seats, nearly doubling its figure compared to 2019.

Growing market

Data from the aviation analytics company Cirium showed that in addition to LEVEL, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines have scheduled flights between Barcelona and the US.

The market will grow slightly in June 2025 compared to the same month in 2024, which is during the peak summer season in the Northern Hemisphere. On average, there were 109.5 weekly flights in June, which should grow to 113.6 in June 2025.

However, there will be no new additional US cities that will have direct services to Barcelona-El Prat, with Delta Air Lines being the only airline to launch a new route from Boston during the upcoming summer season. In June, LEVEL had already served the Boston-Barcelona route with daily flights.