At a ceremony today at Iberia”s brand new Terminal 4 hub at Madrid-Barajas Airport, the latest Airbus A321 to be acquired by the Spanish airline has been christened ””guila Imperial Ib”rica” (Iberian imperial eagle), as a tribute to this unique Spanish species. The sponsor at the ceremony was the renowned naturalist Joaqu”n Araujo, winner of Spain”s National Environment Award and the United Nations Global 500 Award. It was the first of 13 new aircraft to join Iberia”s fleet this year and next, all of them members of the Airbus A320 family. Each will bear the name and a painting of an animal belonging to a protected species. ””guila Imperial Ib”rica” will be followed by the ”Lince Ib”rico” (Iberian lynx), the ”Oso Pardo” (brown bear), the ”Cig”e”a Negra” (black swan), the ”B”ho Real” (royal owl), the ”Avutarda” (great bustard) and the ”Halc”n Peregrino” (peregrine falcon), all causing concern to naturalists and conservationists.
In 2008, new Iberia aircraft will be named for the ”Grulla” (common crane), the ”Petirrojo” (robin), the ”Vencejo” (swift) and the ”Flamenco” (flamingo), and the programme may be extended to apply to other new aircraft.
In addition, the company has offered to extend the scope of its cooperation with such organisations as WWF/Adena, Seo Bird, GREFE, the Fundaci”n Oso Pardo, and all the other groups involved in this project, to seek new ways to help protect Spanish fauna.
The naming of the aircraft is only one aspect of a major consciousness-raising campaign which will continue for at least two years. Its aim is to increase awareness among Iberia”s staff, customers, and the public at large of Spain”s biodiversity, the richest in Europe, and of threats to some of the country”s most emblematic species, so that more people will understand the importance of protecting and preserving them.