Icelandair Adds Destinations to ‘Ambitious Flight Schedule’

Icelandair has announced further expansion of the airline’s network for 2024 with the addition of two more North American destinations. Halifax, Nova Scotia in Canada will see a resumption of service after a break of several years with a seasonal operation from 31 May until mid-October 2024. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is a new destination for the airline from mid-May until the end of October and becomes the twelfth city serviced by the carrier in the U.S.

The addition of Pittsburgh and Halifax to Icelandair’s network is part of “an ambitious flight schedule for next summer and the largest in the Company’s history,” said Bogi Nils Bogason, the Chief Executive Officer of Icelandair. Pittsburgh will have a service from the airline’s Keflavik (KEF) base four times per week and Halifax will see three flights per week.

Along with the new flights Icelandair is scheduled to add three more Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft to its fleet in the coming year bringing its total of the type to 21 and the total for the entire fleet to 42. This will enable the airline to increase frequency to other points on the network, adding 10 per cent extra capacity to the market in 2024 compared to 2023, if measured in available seat kilometers (ASKs). The carrier will offer over 50 destinations on its network with 28 of them being served with a daily flight and a further 19 having additional frequencies.

Iceland’s mid-Atlantic geographic position enables Icelandair to facilitate a unique hub operation allowing passengers traveling to or from North America and Europe the option of a stopover in the country.  Flights are scheduled around ‘three connection banks within the day’ to facilitate the demand for travel between the continents. The airline has strong collaborations within the tourism and hospitality sectors in the country that promote the stopover option to those travelling between North America and Europe.

“The North American market has been very strong, with Americans now the largest single group of tourists to Iceland,” said Bogason. At Icelandair’s recent Q3 presentation, the airline advised that 56 per cent of its record passenger revenue for the period originated from the U.S. and Canada. This compared to 27 percent from Europe and 14 percent from within Iceland itself where the airline operates a robust domestic and regional schedule.

Bogason hinted at further growth for the airline at the recent Q3 presentation and in this week’s announcement of the addition of Halifax and Pittsburgh to the network. He said: “Our experienced team, comprehensive sales infrastructure and strong international brand, together with valuable cooperation agreements with other airlines, allows us to continue moving forward and seizing the opportunities we see in our markets.”

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John Flett

John has always had a passion for aviation and through a career with Air New Zealand has gained a strong understanding of aviation operations and the strategic nature of the industry.

During his career with the airline, John held multiple leadership roles and was involved in projects such as the introduction of both the 777-200 and -300 type aircraft and the development of the IFE for the 777-300. He was also part of a small team that created and published the internal communications magazines for Air New Zealand’s pilots, cabin crew and ground staff, balancing a mix of corporate and social content.

John is educated to postgraduate level achieving a Masters degree with Distinction in Airline and Airport Management. He has been the course director of an undergraduate commercial pilot training programme at a leading London university and a member of Heathrow Community Trust’s ‘Communities for Tomorrow’ panel.

John is currently living in Canada and is contracted as an external instructor for aviation-related organizations.

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