Plus Ultra President and CEO resign amid bribery probe linked to Zapatero

The president and CEO of Plus Ultra Líneas Aéreas, Julio Martínez Sola and Roberto Roselli, have resigned after confessing to paying a €530,000 commission (1% of the €53 million state bailout) to secure government aid, implicating former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero. The resignations come as the airline seeks to distance itself from the scandal under judicial investigation.

Resignations and succession

Martínez Sola and Roselli stepped down following internal pressure and after admitting in court documents that the airline paid the commission to companies linked to intermediary Julio Martínez Martínez. The board has proposed minority shareholder Hugo Castaño as the new president-executive, pending approval by the state holding company SEPI, which supervises the rescued airline Source: euronewses. The approval is not automatic, as SEPI must greenlight the change Source: lavanguardia.

Judicial context

Both executives were arrested in December 2025 but released. Judge José Luis Calama of the Audiencia Nacional has summoned them to testify as suspects on 7 and 8 September 2026 Source: abces. The judge also rejected a motion to nullify the investigation of Zapatero, who denies involvement Source: abces.

The payments

• The airline paid €530,000 (1% of €53M) through three firms: Análisis Relevante, Voli Analítica, and IOT Domotic Europe Source: elconfidencial.
• The contract with Idella Consulenza tied the fee directly to the success of the SEPI procedure Source: euronewses.
• Additional payments in-kind included 46 business-class flights Source: elmundoes.
• The former executives stated they 'had full awareness' that Zapatero and his intermediary expected payment for their lobbying Source: infobae.