WATCH: Spanish plane named after Joburg after their 2010 World Cup win here
The rain in Spain stays mainly on the (aero) plane.
Uno, dos, tres, (one, two, three,) there’s a new Spanish aeroplane to be seen.
The Johannesburgo, named after the city to honour South Africa, arrived at OR Tambo International Airport about two weeks ago.
In celebration, about 70 guests, including the Spanish ambassador to South Africa, Carlos Fernandez-Arias, were given a tour of the brand new A330-200 plane.
Captain in command Osear Gonzalez Hernandez greeted these excited ‘passengers’ as they boarded the twin-engine aircraft.
The 288-seater, 19 in business class and 269 in economy class, is the 12th of its kind in the Iberia fleet, but the first to be named after an African city.“Johannesburg is a long-standing destination linked to Iberia’s history,” said Celia Muñoz, the airline’s head of sales for Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.
Part of this history is that the Spanish national soccer team won the Soccer World Cup in 2010 in Johannesburg.
“Now, one of our aircraft proudly carries the city’s name wherever it flies to, with the aim to promote the city as a tourist and business destination.”
Oh, and the places it will go. Latin American cities Havana and Rio de Janeiro, the USA’s Los Angeles and San Francisco, and Shanghai and Tokyo in Asia is but a few places on the Johannesburgo’s itinerary.
“As the largest and busiest airport in Africa, we are proud to be one of Johannesburgo’s 12 hand-picked routes globally,” said Bongiwe Pityi, general manager of the airport.
She added that OR Tambo hopes to continue their relationship with Iberia, for a positive effect on the local economy and job creation.
As the speeches ended, guest enjoyed a slice of cake decorated in true Spanish style, with red icing. They also celebrated with a glass of sparkling wine. Safe travels, Johannesburgo, adiós.
