Air Nostrum: The Regional Carrier Keeping Smaller Spain in the Air

A Connecting Role Rather Than a Brand of Its Own

Unlike many European regional carriers, Air Nostrum almost always operates under the Iberia brand on flights sold to the public, while keeping its own independent corporate and operational structure. Over the years this model has let it expand on domestic routes that would otherwise not be economically viable for Iberia with larger aircraft, such as the Madrid-Asturias link, operated entirely with regional aircraft since 2026.

The Fleet and Its Renewal

The current fleet numbers 38 aircraft, of which 31 are Bombardier CRJ1000 jets and seven are ATR 72-600 turboprops, with an average age of around 11-12 years. The airline is weighing whether to extend the operational life of the CRJ1000s with major maintenance work or to begin a transition to a new generation of aircraft, with the Embraer E2 family and the Airbus A220 under consideration.

Routes and Network

The network largely coincides with lower-demand Spanish domestic routes, where the capacity of the CRJ1000 and the ATR 72 is more efficient than an Iberia narrowbody of over 150 seats. It plays an essential connecting role for many Spanish provinces that would otherwise depend solely on road or rail links to Madrid.

What Passengers Say

• Pros: direct connections to cities otherwise cut off from the main air network, and the convenience of Iberia check-in shared with connecting long-haul flights.
• Cons: the CRJ1000 cabin is considered less comfortable than newer narrowbodies, and onboard luggage space is limited, as is typical of regional aircraft.

Air Nostrum is the practical choice for anyone who needs to reach a secondary Spanish city not served by direct flights from other carriers, especially when connecting to a long-haul Iberia flight on the same ticket. It is less suitable for those who are particularly sensitive to onboard comfort, since the regional fleet remains older than the narrowbodies on the main routes.

If your ticket combines an Air Nostrum flight with an intercontinental Iberia flight, book everything on a single ticket whenever possible: protection in case of a missed connection is much stronger than with two separate tickets.