Iberia’s first flight in 1946 carried 28 passengers and introduced early cabin crew roles

Iberia’s inaugural Madrid–Buenos Aires service flew on 22 September 1946 with 28 passengers on board, offering one‑way tickets for 11,435 pesetas and round‑trip tickets for 20,583 pesetas, and operated on a schedule of one flight every ten days.

The airline’s early cabin crew were referred to as aeromozas, aeroviarias, mayordomas and provisorias before the term azafata was adopted, and their duties focused on assisting passengers and distributing catering that included fried chicken, Spanish omelette, hard‑boiled egg and chocolates; uniform design evolved from collaborations with designers such as Manuel Pertegaz and Elio Berhanyer in the 1960s to a navy blue, red and yellow scheme created by Teresa Helbig in 2020.