1am Departure: Is This New Flight The 'Worst' From Europe To The US This Winter?

In the upcoming winter, passenger flights will depart from Europe to the United States from 00:55 to 21:00. However, more services will leave at 10:00 than at any other time, which is reasonably civilized. These findings are from examining all scheduled services using Cirium Diio data.

The 00:55 departure is operated by Iberia. It is from its Madrid hub to Dallas/Fort Worth. While oneworld member Iberia has served the Texas hub, where 84% of flights are by the alliance’s top carrier American Airlines, since 2022, its departure time changes dramatically at the end of October 2025.

Fancy Leaving Europe For The US At 00:55?

Credit: GCMap

Based on IATA slot seasons, northern carriers, including Iberia, will switch to winter schedules on October 26. While Iberia’s Madrid to Dallas service currently leaves Spain at 16:00, it will change to 00:55 on October 28. This is when some of its South American flights leave.

The full schedule is shown below, with the three-class, 292-seat Airbus A330-300 down to operate. The winter frequency will be four times a week, down from daily during the summer. The 00:55 departure time will be maintained through the northern winter season, returning to its late afternoon departure time on March 29, 2026.

Leaving Europe at 00:55 may sound horrific, especially for those in economy. However, even earlier departures have existed in the past. For example, Turkish Airlines has had some New York JFK and Miami flights leave from the fast-growing Istanbul Airport, which is on the European side of the Bosphorus, as early as 00:40. Meanwhile, in 2014, Air Europa briefly departed from Madrid for Miami at 00:45.

OK, But Why The Odd Dallas Schedule?!

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Like Iberia’s overnight flights to South America, its after-midnight departure to Texas will be fed by large numbers of flights arriving from across Europe. It will complement partner American’s much less tiring 12:40 departure to the Lone State.

The very early 05:30 arrival in Dallas will connect to many more departures on American than Iberia’s previously planned arrival time in winter (which was at 19:55/20:35). They codeshare to around 60 US airports. The arrival time will appeal more to the US point-of-sale. The seven-hour-plus ground time in the US is entirely so that Iberia will arrive back at 06:15, which is during the oneworld operator’s peak arrivals back from the US. This, too, will assist with connectivity.

According to the US Department of Transportation for November 2024 to February 2025, Iberia only filled 75% of its Dallas seats, ten points lower than its US network generally. This was despite its lower winter frequency to Dallas. Perhaps it views this radically different schedule—which will not exist in the summer—as an experiment. Both Iberia and American must be confident of growing competitiveness and market share to make such a change. If the 00:55 departure time doesn’t return in winter 2026/2027, we will know it wasn’t worth it.

What Other Really Early Flights Are There?

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Let’s stick with the upcoming winter and examine all other passenger flights that are scheduled to depart from Europe to the US before 06:00. Doing so shows that there’s only one other entry. At 02:10 on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Turkish Airlines Boeing 787-9s will depart for Miami, arriving in Florida at 07:00 local time.

You might wonder why JFK does not feature. It does—just not in the winter. During the summer, Turkish Airlines has four daily flights to JFK, which is not among the world’s ten busiest airports. They are reduced to three daily in the less popular winter. The additional daily summer operation leaves at 00:50 and arrives in the Big Apple at 04:30 local time. It will return next year, albeit with a new 01:05 departure time from Türkiye.