Low-cost long-haul flights from Barcelona could be started next summer by British Airways owner International Airlines Group.
IAG, which also owns Iberia and Spanish budget carrier Vueling, has not yet decided whether to set up a new unit or use existing resources from its airlines.
Vueling uses Barcelona El Prat airport as a hub, and IAG said that Vueling passengers could feed into its long-haul flights at the airport.
“Barcelona has become a significant airport hub and we believe that there is a demand for these flights from El Prat,” IAG told Reuters.
Destinations being considering for the long-haul plan are Los Angeles, San Francisco, Buenos Aires, Santiago de Chile, Havana and Tokyo, IAG said.
The move could bring the airline group into direct competition with fast-expanding Norwegian which is due to start budget flights from Barcelona to Los Angeles and San Francisco from in summer 2017.