Iberia will begin hiring to fill 120 pilot positions in the coming weeks, after 11 years without accepting applications.

The new pilots will join Iberia over the next two years, starting this summer.

Agreements between the company and the pilots union SEPLA signed in February last year brought improvements in cockpit costs and productivity, while changing entry-level conditions for new pilots, aligning them with those of other airlines.

New pilots will replace those retiring, and enable the company to meet current and future needs.

The additional cockpit staff will also allow Iberia to promote 100 senior co-pilots to captain within a year.

Iberia’s chairman and chief executive Luis Gallego said “The hiring of new pilots is a another milestone for the new Iberia, in keeping with all the good news of recent months, such as our new routes, new aircraft, leadership in flight punctuality, and the operating profit following six years of losses.

“This all stemmed from the agreements with employee unions, and our Future Plan, which involves all company areas.

“I’m delighted, as are all of us in Iberia, to see things turning out as we had hoped when we decided to negotiate these agreements.

“It wasn’t easy, but, as we’re now seeing, it gave Iberia a future,” Gallego said.