President of Spanish airline implicated in influence peddling case resigns

The president and CEO of Spanish airline Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas have resigned as the company faces scrutiny over its alleged involvement in a scheme involving influence peddling and the misuse of state loans. President Julio Martínez Sola and CEO Roberto Roselli stepped down on Friday. The airline is under investigation for its connection to a state loan and a supposed influence peddling ring that has implicated former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The new executive president, who will combine both roles, is minority shareholder Hugo Castaño, pending approval from the Spanish state holding company SEPI, as Plus Ultra is considered a "supervised" company due to the public loan it received. Martínez Sola and Roselli were arrested in December 2025 as part of an operation led by the Anti-Corruption Prosecutor's Office, though they were later released. The resignations were confirmed by sources close to the airline's shareholders. Both executives had previously acknowledged in court filings that Plus Ultra signed a contract with a company owned by Julio Martínez Martínez, the president's relative, to pay a commission of 1% for "accompanying" the loan process. Martínez Sola stated that the airline paid 530,000 euros, which is 1% of the 53 million euro public rescue package, through three companies linked to Martínez Martínez. This contract stipulated the payment based on the success of the SEPI procedure. Several businessmen have indicated that Zapatero allegedly sought payment for mediating the loan, although his exact role remains unclear.