Icelandair, the quickly growing one-stop carrier based in Reykjavik, has announced its latest expansion to the United States to Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD).
The flights will begin service in March of 2016 with four weekly roundtrips between Chicago and Reykjavik, allowing customers not only flights to Iceland, but affordable one-stop service to more than 20 destinations in Europe. Icelandair is well known for its all Boeing 757 fleet, and has been using its continued growth to boost tourism in its home country of only 320,000 people.
“We are excited to return to Chicago as a bigger, better airline that can best serve the dynamic market of this world-class city and its nearly 10 million inhabitants” claims the CEO of Icelandair, Birkir Holm Gudnason. “ Chicagoans will now have a refreshing alternative when traveling to Iceland and beyond, and Icelanders and Europeans will have direct access to the vibrant and historic city of Chicago. This is an exciting and significant moment for Icelandair and we look forward to welcoming Chicago aboard.”
Iceland is becoming more well known for its scenic spots, including the ability to see the Northern Lights, glaciers and geysers. Many tourists have found Icelandair as a convenient option not only because of its low prices, but because it offers a free stopover for those wanting to stay in Iceland for up to 7 days before traveling to their final destination. The airline originally began offering service to Chicago in 1973, but had to remove the route 15 years later. It is now reentering the market as Chicago will become the airline’s 13th destination in the United States.
Mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, stated “Icelandair’s decision to bring nonstop flights to Chicago not only demonstrates the attractiveness of our world-class city for tourism and business opportunities, but highlights O’Hare International Airport as a true global gateway.”
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