Icelandair to expand its international flight schedule in 2016 by 18%

• Passenger number projected at 3.5 million
• Direct flights to 42 destinations
• Capacity increase of 18% between years
• Three new destinations:  Chicago USA, Montreal Canada and Aberdeen UK.

Reykjavík, Iceland, 2015-9-8 — /Travel PR News/ — Icelandair, a subsidiary of Icelandair Group, will see its international flight schedule in 2016 expand by 18% from 2015. The number of passengers is projected at 3.5 million in 2016, an increase of approximately 450,000 from 2015.  Three new destinations will be added and flight frequency increased to several gateways in both North America and Europe.  A total of 26 aircraft will be used in the Route Network next summer, two more than this summer. The increase is expected to result in a continued growth of the Icelandic tourist industry.

Available seat kilometers will increase by 18% next year, while the number of flights will increase by 14%. The difference is due to the increased weight of longer flights to North America in the schedule. Also, two 262-seat Boeing 767-300 aircraft will be added to the fleet. The new aircraft are larger than the Boeing 757 aircraft currently operated by the company.

In 2016, Icelandair will offer direct flights to 42 destinations, an increase of three new destinations. As announced earlier, year-round flights to Chicago USA will begin in March, and Montreal Canada will be added as a new destination in May. In March the Company will commence flights to Aberdeen UK, using Air Iceland´s Q-400 aircraft. However, the main reason for the continued growth in the international flight schedule will be the added capacity on routes to a number of gateways in both North America and Europe.

The scope of the international Route Network has almost tripled since 2009. In that year passengers numbered approximately 1.3 million, or 37% of the number projected for 2016. The Route Network has been built mainly around the hub at Keflavik International Airport, with morning flights to cities in Europe and afternoon flights to North America. In recent years the company has been building up a secondary bank of flights with departures just before noon. Growth of the secondary bank presents an opportunity for two different departure times within the same day, eliminates the congestion at Keflavik Airport and supports the primary bank.  In 2016 much of the growth will be outside the primary bank and not in the summer high season.

For further information, please contact:

Björgólfur Jóhannsson President and CEO, Icelandair Group, tel. +354-896-1455
Bogi Nils Bogason, CFO, Icelandair Group, tel. +354-665-8801
Birkir Hólm Guðnason, CEO Icelandair, tel. +354-897-4017