MADRID- Iberia (IB) has handed one of its most senior captains a once-in-a-lifetime assignment. Pablo Martínez Núñez, a pilot with 26 years at the carrier, will operate the flight carrying Pope Leo XIV from Madrid (MAD) to Barcelona (BCN) on June 9, 2026, and he has described it as the most significant journey of his professional life.
The leg is one of four Iberia operated flights tied to the pope’s June 6-12 visit to Spain, connecting Madrid, Barcelona, and the Canary Islands before the return to Rome. The papal party traveling on these flights includes 82 journalists.
Iberia Captain Selected for Historic Papal Flight
Martínez, photographed in Madrid on May 26, 2026, has spent more than two and a half decades flying long-haul Airbus aircraft for Iberia, with routes reaching destinations such as Lima (LIM) in Peru.
Despite years of demanding international operations, he places the upcoming papal flight above all of them.
“This will be, without discussion, the most special flight of my life,” Martínez told OSV News.
A practicing Catholic, he said the flight carries weight that goes beyond a standard charter. While Iberia crews routinely transport heads of state and dignitaries, he acknowledged that operating a flight for the pope brings an emotional and spiritual dimension that is difficult to match.
“All flights in Iberia are special because we bring people together,” he said. “But this one goes beyond the human and emotional level.”
How Papal Flights Are Arranged
A common assumption is that the pope travels aboard a Vatican-owned aircraft, an aircraft occasionally referred to by observers as the Shepherd One.
In practice, papal trips rely on commercial charter flights arranged with national carriers. Popes departing Rome traditionally fly with Italy’s flagship airline, formerly Alitalia and now ITA Airways (AZ), while the return leg is usually entrusted to the flagship carrier of the country being visited.
In Spain, that role has belonged to Iberia since 1982, the year St. John Paul II made the first of his five visits to the country.
According to the National Catholic Reporter, the current trip continues that long-standing arrangement, with Iberia operating the in-country and return-to-Rome flights.
Many Iberia crew members volunteered for the assignment. The airline weighed staff interest alongside personal and religious considerations when forming the crews.
Martínez first learned of his selection verbally during a meeting with airline management. The confirmation arrived later through his official monthly flight schedule, where the Madrid-Barcelona route appeared flagged as a “special flight.”
Possible View of Sagrada Família
The captain hopes to give Pope Leo XIV a memorable approach into Barcelona. If conditions allow, he plans to route the aircraft for a notable view of the city’s most famous landmark.
“If weather conditions cooperate and air traffic control allows it, my intention is to pass near the Sagrada Familia so the Holy Father can have a special view of it,” he said.
Martínez hinted at additional touches being prepared for the cabin, including music linked to the Augustinian order once led by Pope Leo XIV. The Escolanía of El Escorial is expected to feature onboard.
The boys’ choir belongs to the Augustinian-run Royal Monastery of El Escorial, the 16th-century complex built by King Philip II.
Its members receive both academic and musical education and perform regularly at liturgical celebrations throughout the school year.
Personal Milestone for Captain
The flight also holds private meaning for Martínez. He declined to reveal the greeting he is preparing for the pope and his entourage, but he shared one personal hope.
He intends to hand Pope Leo a photo of his wife and their two children. This year marks his 25th wedding anniversary, and he hopes for a blessing for his family.
“It’s our 25th wedding anniversary this year, so I would like for him to bless my wife and our two children, who are in their early 20s, and like me, practicing Catholics,” he said.
Pope Leo’s Arrival in Madrid
The pope arrived at Adolfo Suárez Madrid-Barajas International Airport (MAD) on June 6, 2026, to begin his apostolic journey.
King Felipe VI and Queen Letizia received him at the airport. The visit is the first by a pope to Spain since Benedict XVI traveled to Madrid for World Youth Day in 2011.
En route from Rome, Pope Leo spoke with reporters aboard the papal plane, where he reflected on the wider purpose of the trip and exchanged lighter remarks with the journalists traveling with him.
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