Air Europa

Is Air Europa safe?

Yes. Air Europa, the Madrid-based long-haul and leisure airline of the Globalia group, has never had a fatal accident or written offHull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary an aircraft, and it is overseen within the EU's aviation safety system. We score it 86. The main things that hold it back are a severe turbulence encounter that sent 30 people to hospital in 2024, a short landing in fog at Katowice in 2007 that could have ended much worse, and a 737 fleet that is older than its long-haul 787s.

What happened on UX045?

On the night of 30 June to 1 July 2024, flight UX045, a Boeing 787-9 from Madrid to Montevideo with 345 people on board, was cruising at 36,000 feet over the Atlantic north-east of Brazil when it ran into severe turbulence. The aircraft dropped suddenly, and several ceiling panels and a seat back were broken in the cabin.

The crew diverted to Natal, where 15 ambulances met the aircraft and 30 people were taken to hospital. The airline said seven passengers were treated for injuries of varying severity and the rest had bruises; Spain's CIAIAC records one crew member and three passengers as seriously hurt. A replacement aircraft took the passengers on to Montevideo. We have not seen a final report.

Turbulence injuries count as accidents under ICAO rules, but we weigh them lightly because the aircraft and its systems worked as designed. The lesson is for passengers: almost everyone badly hurt in turbulence is not wearing a seat belt.

A smaller turbulence event in December 2019 shows the same pattern. An Air Europa A330 crossed unexpected turbulence on approach to Madrid while cabin crew were securing the cabin; one flight attendant fell and was injured. The CIAIAC found the turbulence was stronger than forecast.

The Katowice approach, 2007

The most serious event in Air Europa's history happened on 28 October 2007. Flight UX911, a Boeing 737-800 from Beirut, approached Katowice, Poland, in fog with visibility of about 300 to 450 metres. According to the investigation summary, the captain called the conditions "a little bit difficult" and chose a straight-in approach to save fuel, against the first officer's suggestion to fly the published procedure. The aircraft touched down about 870 metres before the runway threshold, hit the approach lights and was substantially damaged. Everyone survived and the aircraft was repaired. It came close to being far worse, and nothing like it appears in Air Europa's record since.

Recent incidents

• 19 September 2023, Palma. The left winglet of an Air Europa 737-800 taxiing after landing hit the elevator of a stationary Condor Boeing 757. The CIAIAC blamed the Air Europa crew's failure to judge the space available at the taxiway intersection.
• 8 May 2026, Palma. A bird hit the nose gear of a 737-800 on approach and damaged its steering. After a normal touchdown the aircraft drifted right and left the runway at about 55 knots onto paved ground. No one was hurt; it was back in service the next day.
• 10 July 2026, near the Canary Islands. An Air Europa 787-9 and an Iberia A321 flying opposite directions at the same flight level got collision-avoidance alerts; Air Europa climbed 400 feet and Iberia descended 500. The CIAIAC is investigating. The controllers' union pointed to weak radar and radio coverage in oceanic sectors.

Air Europa's regional ATR flights have in the past been flown by partner airlines, Swiftair and Aeronova, under their own certificates. Their events, such as a hard landing at Palma in 2019, are not in this score.

What does Air Europa fly?

Two Boeing types. In July 2026 the fleet was 29 787s for long-haul and 31 737s for short and medium-haul, Forbes España reported from the company's results. The 787 is a current-generation wide-body; most of the 737s are 737-800s, a generation older than the 737 MAX. Air Europa does not publish an average age. It plans its first Airbus A350-900s from 2028.

Who oversees Air Europa?

Spain's aviation safety agency AESA certifies Air Europa within the EASA system. Spain holds FAA IASAFAA IASAThe US FAA's check of whether a country's aviation regulator meets ICAO standards. Category 1 means it does; Category 2 means it does not.More in the glossary Category 1, no Spanish airline is on the EU Air Safety ListEU Air Safety ListThe European Commission's list of airlines banned or restricted from flying in EU airspace because they do not meet international safety standards.More in the glossary, and Air Europa is IOSA-registeredIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary as an IATA member.

Ownership is shifting but control is not. Turkish Airlines agreed in November 2025 to invest €300 million for about 26% of Air Europa. Spain's government approved it in June 2026; the European Commission's review was still open in October. Globalia, the Hidalgo family's group, keeps control, and Air Europa keeps its Spanish certificate and crews.

Flying Air Europa: practical points

• Wear your seat belt whenever you are seated on long-haul flights. UX045 is the event that hurt the most people in Air Europa's history, and it happened in cruise with no warning.
• Pick the 787 routes if aircraft age matters to you. All long-haul flights use 787s; short-haul flights use 737s, many of them older 737-800s.
• Expect slow taxiing at Palma in summer. It is one of Europe's busiest airports in July and August, and Air Europa's 2023 and 2026 events there happened on the ground.

How we scored it

No fatal accident or hull lossHull lossAn accident in which an aircraft is destroyed or damaged beyond economic repair. People may or may not be hurt.More in the glossary (90) and EU oversight with IOSAIOSAThe IATA Operational Safety Audit, an international audit of an airline's safety management and operations. Every IATA member must pass it.More in the glossary (90) carry the score. The older 737s hold the fleet at 80, and the Palma ground collision, the 2026 runway excursionRunway excursionWhen an aircraft leaves the runway surface during take-off or landing, either off the end (an overrun) or off the side (a veer-off).More in the glossary and the oceanic near-miss keep incidents at 76. Overall 86, two points above Iberia and level with ITA Airways; our confidence is medium because Air Europa does not publish a fleet age and several CIAIAC reports are still open.