Iberia Launches Direct Madrid-Tivat Flights, Opening the Adriatic to Spain

The Spanish flag carrier has landed in Montenegro for the first time with a regular seasonal route. Twice-weekly flights between Madrid and Tivat will operate until mid-September, offering more than 6,300 seats and a new gateway to the Bay of Kotor.

TIVAT — The first Iberia Airbus A320 landed at Tivat airport on Saturday with 180 passengers on board, mostly Spanish tourists. The Spanish flag carrier has established a regular seasonal route between Madrid and the jewel of the Montenegrin coast, becoming the ninth national airline to operate at the airport this year.

The new route will operate on Tuesdays and Saturdays until September 15, with Airbus A320 aircraft and more than 6,300 seats available during the two-month service. It is the only non-stop connection between the two cities and marks the third direct air link between Spain and Montenegro, following routes connecting Podgorica and Tivat with Barcelona.

The inaugural flight was greeted on the Tivat airport tarmac with a ceremony featuring flamenco dancing and the traditional Montenegrin 'oro'. The delegation of officials was led by Montenegro's Tourism Minister Simonida Kordić, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Spanish Embassy in Belgrade, Jorge Urdiola López de Montenegro, and the CEO of Airports of Montenegro, Roko Tolić.

The return flight to Madrid took off with 160 passengers, mostly Montenegrin citizens, representing a 95% occupancy rate on the first rotation. A figure that, according to Tolić, demonstrates the "great potential" of the route.

In his remarks, Tolić took the opportunity to send a message to political authorities. "This is an elegant, sophisticated way to exert that 'little pressure' to finally make a decision on the management model of Montenegro's airports". Tolić noted that the airport operates with facilities that have not changed in years and warned that "it would be a real shame to welcome 2027 like this".

Montenegro's Parliament has had a government proposal pending for months to grant a concession to South Korea's Incheon International Airports. Meanwhile, Airports of Montenegro has managed to open 23 new routes this year.

Tivat has undergone a radical transformation over the past fifteen years. From a former Yugoslav naval base to a luxury enclave comparable in some aspects to Monaco or Porto Cervo. Located in the Bay of Kotor, a UNESCO World Heritage site, the city combines a privileged natural setting with modern tourist infrastructure, led by Porto Montenegro.

The new route is part of Iberia's Flight Plan 2030, a growth strategy backed by a €6 billion investment to expand its route network, modernize its fleet, and improve the customer experience.

"Our goal is to continue offering our customers an increasingly attractive and diverse network," said Víctor Moneo, Iberia's Global Sales Director. "The addition of Tivat responds to the growing interest of travelers in discovering new destinations in the Adriatic. At the same time, this new route will allow Montenegro to connect with Iberia's extensive international network through Madrid".

For Spanish travelers, the new route provides direct access to the Bay of Kotor and Montenegro's coastline, a less crowded alternative to Croatia's Dalmatian coast. From Tivat, visitors can explore the historic towns of Kotor, Perast, and Budva, as well as some of the most spectacular landscapes on the Montenegrin coast.