Spanish carrier Iberia has confirmed that it plans to close some routes, two days after media reports said tough competition from low-cost carriers would price it out of some European and domestic routes.
The measure 'will be taken gradually across the year', communications director Luis Diaz Guell said on the sidelines of the Spanish tourism forum Fitur.
Spanish newspaper El Pais reported on Monday that Iberia was increasingly unable to keep pace with its low-cost competitors, such as Ryanair and Easyjet.
Earlier this week, Iberia's chairman Fernando Conte also complained that some Spanish airports were giving discounts to low-cost carriers.
The Spanish carrier has lost its former monopoly at certain provincial airports such as Almeria in the southeast and Jerez in the deep south.
Ryanair is in April to propose flights between London and Santiago de Compostela for fares ranging from €27 to €69, not including taxes. El Pais noted that Iberia's normal fare for the route was €130 more expensive.
