With Its Own AOC, LEVEL Seeks Approval for Codeshare Operations with Alaska Airlines
Fly Level Barcelona LH, S.L., operating commercially as LEVEL, has filed a request with the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) for authorization to implement a codeshare agreement with Alaska Airlines. This move would allow LEVEL to display Alaska Airlines' “AS*” designator on its flights.
The Spanish airline, part of the International Airlines Group (IAG), aims to use this agreement for flights originating from any European Union Member State, via any EU state and through intermediate points, to any destination in the United States and beyond. Additionally, LEVEL seeks the same authorization for flights carrying Alaska’s code between the U.S. and any member of the European Common Aviation Area.
Initial plans call for the codeshare flights to operate under the existing agreement between Iberia (also part of IAG) and Alaska Airlines, which the DOT has previously approved. In 2021, that agreement was amended to include LEVEL as an Iberia affiliate. The first routes under this arrangement would connect Barcelona (BCN) with Los Angeles (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO).
LEVEL’s U.S. operations are currently conducted under a wet lease from Iberia, a setup that will remain in place while aircraft bearing the LEVEL brand transition from Iberia’s Spanish Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to LEVEL’s own Spanish AOC. Once the transition and FAA operations specification updates are complete, LEVEL will operate the flights independently under its own certification.
LEVEL has requested expedited approval of this application to enable the early publication of schedules and ticket sales for the proposed codeshare service. The airline also asked for a waiver of the standard 45-day advance filing requirement.
To support the request, LEVEL stated that its IATA Operational Safety Audit (IOSA) is nearly complete, pending minor approvals from the Spanish government on manual and process updates. Alaska Airlines will rely on LEVEL’s IOSA certification, and LEVEL committed to ensuring that any advance ticket sales include the disclaimer “subject to U.S. government approval,” with no Alaska-coded passengers flying on LEVEL-operated flights until DOT confirms the IOSA certification. In case of a gap between codeshare approval and IOSA acceptance, such passengers would be rebooked as Iberia customers.
LEVEL argues that the codeshare aligns with the U.S.–EU Open Skies Agreement, which broadly supports cooperative marketing arrangements. The airline believes this expansion will boost competition and enhance consumer choice.
In a follow-up communication dated May 23, 2025, LEVEL’s legal representatives informed the DOT that no U.S. carriers objected to the application, and reiterated their request for swift approval.
This development supports IAG’s broader strategy to strengthen transatlantic connectivity. LEVEL already holds a DOT exemption to operate U.S. flights and a codeshare agreement with Iberia (approved in February 2025), allowing mutual display of flight codes. The airline has also sought a similar arrangement with American Airlines. Such agreements are key to LEVEL’s growth strategy as a long-haul low-cost carrier, particularly in expanding its North American distribution from its base in Barcelona.
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