From David Volz
Miami-Dade County and LEVEL officials hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony at Miami International Airport on April 3 to celebrate the airline’s launch of Barcelona-Miami service, which made Miami the airline’s fifth U.S. destination and its only route in Florida. The event was also celebrated with “flying colors” when officials unveiled Crossroads, a large-scale painting by Miami graffiti artist Quake that commemorates the airline’s newest route.
“I am delighted that LEVEL has chosen Miami-Dade County as its newest destination for service to Barcelona,” said Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava. “As two coastal communities rich with diverse arts, culture, and history, Barcelona and Miami have many similarities and connections. I am so pleased to see that our residents now have another convenient way to travel between our two popular destinations.”
LEVEL, the Barcelona-based long-haul airline of International Airlines Group (IAG) that was born in 2017, began three weekly flights at MIA on March 31 to begin its summer travel season. LEVEL will increase the new service to four weekly flights from June to September. LEVEL is one of the six airline brands within IAG, alongside Aer Lingus, British Airways, Iberia, Iberia Express, and Vueling. Spain was MIA’s 8th busiest international market in 2023, responsible for more than 913,000 passengers.
“We are very excited with the inauguration of this new service, which not only opens a direct connection between Miami and Barcelona with great tourist interest, but also enables endless investment and business opportunities,” said Ricard Falomir, Chief Digital and Operations Officer, LEVEL. “We are the airline from Barcelona that will provide a direct flight from Miami to Barcelona, being that both cities are important intercontinental hubs. The service is already a success, so we are happy to announce that it will be operated throughout the year, as a commitment to Miami. In LEVEL’s representation, I also want to thank all the organizations that have been involved in the launch and the promotion of the service, especially the teams at Miami International Airport and the Greater Miami Convention & Visitors Bureau.”
Quake’s 6.5-foot-by-13-foot painting Crossroads, which pays tribute to Barcelona and Miami-Dade County – two global hotspots for graffiti art – was unveiled during the event prior to the inaugural flight. The artwork, which includes spray paint enamel, acrylic, and latex on canvas, will be installed for temporary display inside MIA’s Concourse F. Crossroads was made possible through a partnership with the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau and Goldman Global Arts. Quake also signed postcard-sized versions of Crossroads for LEVEL’s inaugural passengers.
