Van Helsing
My glass is half empty.
- Joined
- Apr 23, 2004
- Messages
- 1,390
Iberia Airlines is closing its hub at Miami International Airport, citing both economic reasons and problems international travelers must deal with because of heightened security.
Airline spokesman Jaime Perez Guerra said at least 54 of the airline's 110 Miami-based employees will lose their jobs. Iberia, which is Spain's largest airline, will begin cutting daily flights into and out of Miami on Oct. 1.
"We're cutting a lot because we're losing a lot of money - tens of millions of dollars a year," Perez Guerra said Friday.
New security regulations stipulate that foreign travelers need to obtain U.S. visas even if they are merely passing through American airports to catch connecting flights from one foreign country to another. The "transit-without-visa" program hurt Iberia's operations in Miami, which was the airline's lone U.S. hub.
"We're shooting ourselves in the foot," said Robert Booth, a Miami aviation consultant. "We all believe in security, but this has gone too far, especially on the transit-without-visa issue."
Iberia plans to cut its daily flights from Madrid to Miami from two to one, and will begin flying directly to Guatemala and Panama from Spain - bypassing the stopover in Miami so its passengers can avoid dealing with the visa issue and its $100 fee.
Miami airport officials are planning to study what the financial implications of Iberia's decision will be. For the 12-month period that ended in September 2003, the airline reported its total traffic through Miami was 35.7 percent lower than it was during the previous fiscal year.
South Florida business leaders said the decision will prove detrimental to the region's economy.
"This action underscores the need for the U.S. to balance security concerns with the reality of doing business in the Americas," said Frank R. Nero, president of The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade's economic development group.
The decision was made months ago, Perez Guerra said, long before an April diplomatic flap where airport security personnel made Spain's future king and his then-fiancee go through screening before boarding an Iberia flight.
Crown Prince Felipe and Spanish television anchorwoman Letizia Ortiz - who were married in May - had to pass through a security check before boarding their flight home to Madrid. The royal family was later apologized to by county officials.
It was only a matter of time before these ill thought out rules started to hit home.
Airline spokesman Jaime Perez Guerra said at least 54 of the airline's 110 Miami-based employees will lose their jobs. Iberia, which is Spain's largest airline, will begin cutting daily flights into and out of Miami on Oct. 1.
"We're cutting a lot because we're losing a lot of money - tens of millions of dollars a year," Perez Guerra said Friday.
New security regulations stipulate that foreign travelers need to obtain U.S. visas even if they are merely passing through American airports to catch connecting flights from one foreign country to another. The "transit-without-visa" program hurt Iberia's operations in Miami, which was the airline's lone U.S. hub.
"We're shooting ourselves in the foot," said Robert Booth, a Miami aviation consultant. "We all believe in security, but this has gone too far, especially on the transit-without-visa issue."
Iberia plans to cut its daily flights from Madrid to Miami from two to one, and will begin flying directly to Guatemala and Panama from Spain - bypassing the stopover in Miami so its passengers can avoid dealing with the visa issue and its $100 fee.
Miami airport officials are planning to study what the financial implications of Iberia's decision will be. For the 12-month period that ended in September 2003, the airline reported its total traffic through Miami was 35.7 percent lower than it was during the previous fiscal year.
South Florida business leaders said the decision will prove detrimental to the region's economy.
"This action underscores the need for the U.S. to balance security concerns with the reality of doing business in the Americas," said Frank R. Nero, president of The Beacon Council, Miami-Dade's economic development group.
The decision was made months ago, Perez Guerra said, long before an April diplomatic flap where airport security personnel made Spain's future king and his then-fiancee go through screening before boarding an Iberia flight.
Crown Prince Felipe and Spanish television anchorwoman Letizia Ortiz - who were married in May - had to pass through a security check before boarding their flight home to Madrid. The royal family was later apologized to by county officials.
It was only a matter of time before these ill thought out rules started to hit home.
