ROUTES / FLEET - Spain’s LEVEL to wet-lease A330-900N for Summer 2025

 LEVEL (LL, Barcelona El Prat) will wet-lease one A330-900N from Iberojet (Portugal) (6O, Lisbon) to operate its transatlantic services between Barcelona and New York JFK between June 1 and September 30.

The aircraft in question is CS-TKH (msn 1963), a 388-seater single-class widebody, currently wet-leased to Corsair International. In previous years, LEVEL deployed an A330-200 wet-leased from Wamos Air on the same route.

In a statement to ch-aviation, LEVEL said the company continuously analyses market needs to determine the best way to address them. "The wet lease agreement with Iberojet allows us to adjust our operational plan, balancing market demands with our own resources," it added.

Iberojet Portugal operates another A330-900, CS-TCF (msn 1929), with a single-class configuration for 371 passengers, while sister carrier Iberojet (Spain) (E9, Palma de Mallorca) operates five aircraft, namely one A320-200, two A330-300s, and two A350-900s.

The ch-aviation fleets module shows LEVEL currently operates one in-house A330-200s and six of the same type wet-leased in from fellow IAG International Airlines Group-owned carrier Iberia. LEVEL, which recently obtained an air operator’s certificate (AOC) and operating licence (OL) in Spain, has not yet started operations under its new ‘LL’ code and it is still flying under Iberia’s ‘IB’ code. The holding will transfer all the A330-200s from Iberia to LEVEL over the coming months, although for the time being the latter will continue to use the 'IB' code, effectively wet-leasing aircraft to its parent until its own brand becomes active.

Iberojet was not immediately available for comment.

Photo: LEVEL

CH Aviation

FLEET / ROUTES - LEVEL in Northern summer 2024 season once again adds leased Wamos Air Airbus A330-300 ( EC-ODQ) aircraft to support its operation. From 01JUN24 to 30SEP24, the leased aircraft will operate Barcelona – New York JFK route on daily basis, replacing -200.

IB2627 BCN1845 – 2140JFK 333 D
IB2628 JFK2340 – 1325+1BCN 333 D

Photo:  Juan Manuel Gibaja

 

LEVEL to become a stand-alone airline in IAG and to grow

The International Airline Group has announced that LEVEL will become a stand-alone airline in the group. Currently, the airline is only a brand operated by Iberia but this will change with LEVEL getting its own Air Operator's Certificate (AOC). Next to its own AOC, the airline will be expanding its fleet by adding four more aircraft, growing the fleet to eight Airbus A330s.

LEVEL was established by IAG in 2017 as a low-cost long-haul brand, trying to compete with other airlines like Norwegian. The company has its base at Barcelona. Later, it also expanded with flights out of Paris-Orly and also dabbled into the short-haul market by launching LEVEL Europe with bases in Amsterdam and Vienna. Since the pandemic, flights from Vienna and Paris-Orly have been axed, leaving only the long-haul flights out of Barcelona.

The announced and planned expansion of LEVEL doesn't mean adding more (or the return of) bases, the airline will continue to focus flying out of Barcelona.

Photo by LEVEL.

SPECIAL LIVERY - LEVEL / A330-300 / EC-NHM / "El Mago Pop cs"

Alain Charpentier - BCN

VUELING - A321-200 - EC-NLY - All the fleet of LEVEL (Anisec) has been transferred to Vueling in this hibrid scheme. The 3 A321 and 2 A320 are stored at La Muñoza no oportunities of better shots (sorry for the tree)

Jose Ramon Valero
 

LEVEL Nov 2020 operations as of 18OCT20

LEVEL during the month of November 2020 schedules following service, on board Airbus A330-200 aircraft. Planned operation based on OAG schedules listing as of 18OCT20 as follows.

Barcelona – Buenos Aires Ezeiza 2 weekly

Barcelona – New York JFK 2 weekly


As of 18OCT20, tentatively planned service resumption dates for other routes as follow. Additional changes remain likely.

Barcelona – Boston eff 19DEC20

Barcelona – San Francisco eff 22DEC20

Barcelona – Santiago de Chile eff 30NOV20

Paris Orly – Fort-de-France eff 01DEC20

Paris Orly – Newark eff 02DEC20

Paris Orly – Pointe-a-Pitre eff 02DEC20


By Jim Liu

LEVEL expands Barcelona – US East Coast flights in S20

LEVEL in summer 2020 season plans to expands service between Barcelona and US East Coast, reflected in recent schedule update. Planned increase as follows.
Barcelona – Boston eff 29MAR20 Increase from 3 to 4 weekly

IB2625 BCN1835 – 2115BOS 332 x246

IB2626 BOS2300 – 1210+1BCN 332 x246

Barcelona – New York JFK eff 30MAR20 Increase from 3 to 4 weekly

IB2627 BCN1455 – 1800JFK 332 x246

IB2628 JFK2000 – 0950+1BCN 332 x246

LEVEL - A320-200 - OE-LVR

Ton Jochems - AMS

LEVEL - A321-200Sharklets - OE-LCR

Ton Jochems - AMS

Level to fly from Amsterdam to seven European destinations

Level (Austria) (Anisec) has announced it is coming to Amsterdam as its second hub after Vienna. The brand will start flying from AMS to Rome and Vienna starting on April 6.

Service to London (Luton) will begin operating on April 7 followed by Fuerteventura and Lisbon in June.

Barcelona and Milan (Malpensa) will be added in August.
Three Airbus aircraft will be based at AMS.

LEVEL preps for Paris debut with first French A330

LEVEL (Barcelona El Prat) has added its first A330-200 to its French Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) ahead of the opening of its Paris Orly hub later on this July.

Configured with 21 seats in Premium and 293 in Economy Class, F-HLVL (msn 1864) was placed on French carrier OpenSkies' books last week. It is recalled that IAG International Airlines Group has chosen to retire the OpenSkies brand while retaining its AOC for use by its LEVEL low-cost carrier brand.

As previously reported, LEVEL will equip its Orly base with two A330s for use in opening up flights to each of Montréal Trudeau (3x weekly, starts July 2), Pointe à Pitre, Guadeloupe (4x weekly, starts July 3), Fort de France, Martinique (3x weekly, starts September 3), and Newark (4x weekly, starts September 4).
The OpenSkies brand should be fully withdrawn by the end of the current 2018 Summer Season with the last service between Orly and Newark planned for September 2. It currently operates the daily service with a mix of a single B757-200 and a B767-300.
Alain Charpentier - TLS

F-HLVL msn 1864

LEVEL outlines S18 operations: New routes from Paris Orly

LEVEL today (28NOV17) revealed its new summer 2018 schedule, which sees the IAG’s low-cost carrier opening new base in Paris Orly, with A330 aircraft operated by OpenSkies. From Barcelona, the airline will introduce Boston link. Planned schedule as follows.

Barcelona – Boston eff 28MAR18 2 weekly (3 weekly from 06AUG18)
IB2625 BCN1600 – 1815BOS 332 36
IB2626 BOS2015 – 0930+1BCN 332 36

Service operates Day 146 from 06AUG18.

Paris Orly – Fort-de-France eff 03SEP18 3 weekly
IB2672 ORY1100 – 1405FDF 332 146
IB2673 FDF1700 – 0720+1ORY 332 146

Paris Orly – Montreal eff 02JUL18 3 weekly (Subject to Government Approval)
IB2678 ORY1945 – 2130YUL 332 146
IB2679 YUL2315 – 1205+1ORY 332 146

Paris Orly – Newark eff 04SEP18 4 weekly
IB2674 ORY1450 – 1715EWR 332 x146
IB2675 EWR1900 – 0820+1ORY 332 x146

Current OpenSkies service will be operated by Boeing 757 only on daily basis from the same date, instead of 757/767.

Paris Orly – Pointe-a-Pitre eff 03JUL18 4 weekly
IB2670 ORY1610 – 1910PTP 332 x146
IB2671 PTP2110 – 1120+1ORY 332 x146
On existing routes from Barcelona, planned frequency adjustments as foll. Reservation for these routes also opened on Tuesday 28NOV17:


Barcelona – Buenos Aires Ezeiza eff 25MAR18 4 weekly (Day x135; 6 weekly Day x1 from 11AUG18)
Barcelona – Los Angeles eff 28MAR18 2 weekly (Day 37)
Barcelona – Oakland eff 27MAR18 2 weekly (Day 25; 3 weekly Day 257 from 07AUG18)

Routes Online

Photo:Alain Charpentier - BCN

LEVEL - A330-200 - EC-MOY

Alain Charpentier - TLS

IAG re-affirms confidence in A330-200 with three more for LEVEL

International Airlines Group’s (IAG) re-affirms confidence in A330-200 with three more for LEVEL.

Following the recent and hugely successful launch in Barcelona of International Airlines Group’s (IAG) low cost long-haul airline brand, LEVEL, the Group has selected the A330-200 as its aircraft of choice to further expand operations.

LEVEL began operating in June 2017 with flights from Barcelona to Los Angeles, San Francisco (Oakland), Buenos Aires and Punta Cana, with two new Airbus A330-200s branded in its own livery and fitted with 293 economy and 21 premium economy seats.

The A330 is one of the World’s most efficient and versatile widebody aircraft with best in class operating economics making it the benchmark product for the growing low cost long-haul model worldwide. The A330 is the world’s best-selling wide-body in its category.

To date the A330 Family has attracted nearly 1,700 orders with over 1,300 A330 Family aircraft currently flying with more than 110 operators worldwide. With an operational reliability of 99.4 percent and various product enhancements, the A330 Family is the most cost-efficient and capable widebody aircraft to date.

IAG's longhaul LCC LEVEL commences operations

LEVEL (Barcelona El Prat) has inaugurated operations with its maiden flight from its Barcelona El Prat base to Los Angeles Int'l, United States, lifting off on Thursday, June 1.

The longhaul budget carrier will roll out flights to Oakland on June 2, Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic on June 10, and Buenos Aires Ezeiza on June 17.
Operations are on-board a pair of A330-200s operated by fellow IAG International Airlines Group unit, Iberia (IB, Madrid Barajas). As previously reported, LEVEL will pursue its own Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) going forward. It is planning to operate five aircraft by 2018.

IAG Eyes Paris, Rome as Bases for New LCC Level

International Airlines Group (IAG) is considering Paris and Rome as potential bases for its new long-haul, low-cost carrier (LCC) Level, which plans to launch flights from Barcelona June 1.

Level will initially operate two Airbus A330s from Barcelona to Los Angeles, followed by San Francisco (Oakland) on June 2, Punta Cana on June 10 and Buenos Aires on June 17.
The two initial aircraft, part of a batch of five options previously taken out with Airbus, will be in a two-class configuration, with 21 premium economy and 293 economy seats.
IAG CEO Willie Walsh had already indicated Level was planning to expand to other European cities, but during the airline's first-quarter earnings call said "Rome and Paris are both under consideration [as bases] and that an announcement will be made in due course," an IAG spokeswoman confirmed.
Walsh added that two or three more aircraft will join Level's fleet to serve further destinations from summer 2018.
Level is seeking its own air operator's certificate (AOC), but the spokeswoman said the new carrier will operate initial flights from Barcelona under Spanish flag carrier Iberia's AOC, using Iberia crews.
The new airline will be based at Barcelona's El Prat airport, the hub of IAG's LCC Vueling, which is expected to act as a feeder for the new long-haul operation
Level is IAG's fifth mainline airline brand alongside Ireland flag carrier Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia and Vueling.
By Victoria Moores, ATW Daily News

New IAG startup Level attracts strong bookings

International Airlines Group’s (IAG) new long-haul, low-cost airline Level has released its initial booking figures, totaling more than 100,000 since it opened sales March 17.

Level plans to start operations in June, initially operating two Airbus A330s from Barcelona to Los Angeles, San Francisco (Oakland), Buenos Aires and Punta Cana.

“Selling more than 100,000 tickets in such a short period with a new brand is incredible. The response has been fantastic in all markets. We’re enabling many people to fly long haul for the first time and stimulating demand by providing them with more choice. This is just the start. In summer 2018 we will have more aircraft and will operate more destinations from Barcelona. We’re also planning to expand Level operations to other European cities,” IAG CEO Willie Walsh said.

The Level website has attracted more than 700,000 hits and the airline has already built up more than 50,000 social media followers.



Level’s first flight, between Barcelona and Los Angeles, is scheduled for June 1. This will be followed by San Francisco on June 2, Punta Cana on June 10 and Buenos Aires on June 17.Victoria Moores - ATW

LEVEL to operate as a virtual carrier first; eyes own AOC

LEVEL (Barcelona El Prat) will operate as a virtual carrier while it pursues its own Air Operator's Certificate (AOC) the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of IAG International Airlines Group, Willie Walsh, has revealed.
Unveiled earlier this month, LEVEL will use a pair of A330-200s to offer low-cost, longhaul flights from its Barcelona El Prat hub to Los Angeles Int'l, Oakland, Punta Cana, and Buenos Aires Ezeiza from June onwards.

Speaking to the Cranky Flier blog about the project, Walsh said LEVEL would use Iberia (IB, Madrid Barajas) as an operational platform before transitioning to its own certificate in the short- to medium-term.
On the choice of the A330-200, Walsh said the -200's unit costs work out well when used in LEVEL's configuration (314 seats with twenty-one seats in Premium Economy and 293 in Economy class) and in the longhaul markets it plans to operate in. The A330-300 presented too much capacity while the B787 is more expensive in terms of ownership or leasing costs.

While LEVEL will focus on longhaul operations out of Barcelona El Prat initially, the longterm goal is to expand to other cities across Europe tapping into IAG's regional strengths. The Catalan capital was chosen primarily because it is the primary hub for IAG's short- and medium-haul LCC, Vueling Airlines (VY, Barcelona El Prat), which will provide LEVEL with the necessary feed to ensure sustainable operations from Barcelona.

On how LEVEL will expand in future, Walsh noted that aside from Vueling's strong Western European marketshare, the IAG's other carriers - Aer Lingus, British Airways, and Iberia - have a strong presence in other key European markets such as the United Kingdom, Ireland, and even Italy and Belgium. As each airline operates more or less independently within the confines of the IAG, passenger feed can be derived as and when needed.
"In terms of speed to market and speed to growth, we’re out there way ahead of anybody else," he said. "And we’ve got the flexibility to be able to do this and proven ability to have these airlines operate successfully quasi-independently within the group so they don’t interfere with one another; they don’t try to encroach on one another; they don’t try to suppress one another. That’s the sort of focus we have at the moment."
In terms of segment, LEVEL is primarily aimed at stimulating market demand among passengers, millenials in particular, who may not have thought of travelling to any of the destinations being sold before.

"This is a segment of the market that we believe is going to be significant going forward tapping into a whole new generation of fliers who are looking to experience something beyond what they had before and experience the world. This is the start of something that will be very significant for us," he added.

ch aviation