Euroairlines: from regional operator to global distribution

Image: Euroairlines

Spanish carrier Euroairlines has been operating continuously for 25 years. Originally founded as a niche regional operator, the company has transformed itself into a global distribution platform connecting dozens of airlines across continents.

“We were founded in 2000. We have been always flying fleets below 20 seats and 2 tons of cargo on a regular basis and also charter. Geographically speaking, we focus on Southern Europe and North Africa, and that’s what we do, and it’s our legacy of business”, Antonio López-Lázaro, CEO of Euroairlines, explained in an interview with CentralAsia+Aero.

Leveraging its regulatory licenses and certificates, the company developed a business-to-business (B2B) distribution platform. By signing interline and codeshare agreements with other carriers, Euroairlines enables partner airlines to distribute their inventory across new channels and geographical markets.

Today, we have more than 60 customers, operate in over 70 countries, and continue to grow globally. More than 95% of our business is B2B,” says Antonio.

Central Asia strategy: building market infrastructure

Central Asia has emerged as a new focus area for Euroairlines, driven by strong economic indicators, growing middle-class outbound demand, and institutional stability.

“Central Asia is a very relevant corridor for us with very good indicators in terms of GDP, legal security, and an expanding outbound middle class. These are not just words—there is a real plan behind it, real resources applied, and boots on the terrain. For us, it is a natural projection for both a European and a Middle East approach,” Antonio emphasizes.

To establish its presence in the region, Euroairlines has signed an agreement with a local general sales agent in Kazakhstan. According to Antonio, this initial step will provide the company with intelligence, network and contacts. “We are in parallel increasing our capabilities there with the BSP markets like Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Tajikistan, they are all in the pipeline”, he adds. Euroairlines is also already live in Sirena, a key Global Distribution System (GDS) used across Kazakhstan and Russia.

The Spanish company targets a wide array of partners across Asia, regardless of their operational model. Its current portfolio spans legacy carriers like Qatar Airways and Ethiopian Airlines to low-cost operators and regional commuters. In Central Asia, the company is in active talks with major regional carriers—such as Air Astana, Uzbekistan Airways, Centrum Air and Turkmenistan Airlines—as well as international operators in Turkey, India, Mongolia, and South Korea.

Major flag carriers in Central Asia already maintain extensive interline networks. When asked what Euroairlines offers beyond standard interline agreements, Antonio highlights three distinct differentiators.

First, Euroairlines handles B2B and B2C customer service resolution directly, shielding partner carriers from operational friction. “Other providers forward the problems; we manage them all and provide a full solution to either the traveling agency or the passenger. So, these carriers are not impacted. That’s a huge difference”, he said.

Euroairlines also has a unique portfolio that includes smaller and more complex carriers not found in other networks.

Additionally, it can provide intermodality in terms of connectivity between airlines and trains. “For example, in Spain and Italy, we will be able to provide one, two, or three railway providers and in the coming months, also buses. That’s a completely different offer”, Antonio explains.

Analyzing passenger flows, Euroairlines observes a clear split in demand: roughly two-thirds consists of inbound travel into Central Asia, while one-third represents outbound traffic.

Beyond point-to-point traffic between Europe and Central Asia, Euroairlines sees strong potential in connecting the region with India and the rest of Asia, as well as positioning Central Asia as a connecting hub between Asia and Africa.

The company anticipates three to four years of intensive B2B business development in Central Asia to build brand awareness and trade capillarity, focusing on high-value partners such as tour operators, Destination Management Companies (DMCs), travel technology companies, aggregators, and Online Travel Agencies (OTAs).

“The main challenges are the cultural barrier and market maturity. We will need to invest in training to clearly explain our business model. However, we remain realistic and optimistic,” Antonio notes.

Launching the Cargo Division

This year marks Euroairlines’ formal entry into air cargo distribution. The company is actively establishing its initial Special Prorate Agreement (SPA) network to distribute cargo products worldwide.

“The first stage for this year is to build a strong network in terms of connectivity. The second part is to become competitive in terms of pricing. And the third one is commercialization — to offer the network and the price to the market.

Like in passenger segment, Euroairlines plans to cover all the business models – it works with specialized cargo carriers, integrators, and also scheduled airlines. According to Antonio, its current cargo distribution network includes partners such as Amazon in Europe, American Airlines, Air Europa in Spain, Azul and Gol in Latin America, and Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific in Asia. The idea is to develop an initial network on each continent and then connecting them.

“Now we are able to cross the entire globe. We can fly cargo from Latin America or North America to Europe, and then from Europe to the East. While this currently takes three or four legs, the goal is to do it in just a couple, using as few stops as possible to connect cargo in the smoothest way,” he explains.

Addressing the airline startups emerging in Central Asia, Antonio advises new entrants against overbuilding capital-intensive operational structures.

“If you have detected the business, don’t break it trying to build up a new airline for it. Take advantage of the airlines that are already there—build on top of their structures. They will be willing to scale them up. You bring the business; they put in the operation. Do a joint venture,” he says.