Iberia gains unrestricted A350 heavy maintenance approval from AESA

Iberia's maintenance division can now carry out heavy maintenance on the airline's Airbus A350 fleet without restriction, after the Spanish Aviation Safety and Security Agency granted approval.

According to Iberia, it is the first time the regulator has issued an A350 maintenance approval with no limits from the outset. The airline said the process took two years, starting in late 2024, and covered preparations at its facilities and among its workforce for the widebody type.

More than 150 separate actions were needed to secure the capability, Iberia said, spanning engineering, staff training, infrastructure, production equipment, IT systems and quality control.

Enrique Robledo, the carrier's maintenance director, said the approval shows the operation has the processes, equipment, documentation, organisation and qualified staff required for the A350, and that immediate unrestricted certification reflects regulatory confidence in those processes while opening new business opportunities.

Iberia Maintenance runs a 222,000sq m facility and employs more than 3,000 people. It carries out over 120 base maintenance checks and 200 engine overhauls a year, and certifies more than 30,000 components for 120 customers.

Iberia flies 23 A350s, with further aircraft on order through its parent company IAG.