IBERIA names a new plane after the Spanish sailor Juan Sebastián de Elcano.

As of today, Juan Sebastián de Elcano will also sail the skies. Iberia has christened its new Airbus A350-900 with the name of the Spanish sailor born in Guetaria, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of the first circumnavigation of the globe.

The ceremony was attended by Iberia’s Production Manager, Rafael Jiménez, the Chief of Staff of the Spanish Navy, Admiral Teodoro López Calderón, members of the 5th Centennial Commission and family members of Horacio Echevarrieta, founder and first president of Iberia and, in addition, owner of the shipyards were the Spanish Navy training ship ‘Juan Sebastián de Elcano’ was built in 1927, precisely the same year that Iberia was founded.

Rafael Jiménez said that ‘Iberia wanted to pay homage to those fearless sailors who were the forefathers of today’s globalization’.

Admiral López Calderón expressed his gratitude to Iberia for helping publicize the name of a Spanish sailor whose feat changed the course of history thanks to his courage, perseverance, audacity and seamanship.

The ‘Juan Sebastián Elcano’ is the fifth A350 operated by Iberia of a total of 20 ordered by 2023. The A350-900 is a last generation airplane with state-of-the-art technology. 70% of its elements are made of carbon fiber, fiberglass, aluminum and titanium, resulting is a lighter and more fuel efficient aircraft.