Flying to Iceland

General Information

Of the fifty or so airports and airfields in the country, only around fifteen receive regular flights. Just one, Keflavik about fifty kilometres from the capital on a former US base, truly serves an international purpose. This airport now handles over 8 million passengers per year, nearly twenty times more than the country's second busiest, Reykjavík Airport, which serves domestic traffic.

Types of Flights

Local Airlines

Due to bankruptcies or takeovers by the national carrier, Iceland now has only three airlines, with Icelandair being the oldest and by far the most significant in the country.

Air Atlanta Icelandic: a charter airline sometimes chartered by French tour operators for various destinations.

Icelandair: the national carrier is by far the largest in the country. From its base in Keflavik, it connects around fifty cities on both sides of the Atlantic.

Norlandair: a small airline with regional charter flights and three regular Icelandic routes plus one to Greenland from Akureyri.

Charters, Scheduled, and Low-Cost Flights

Traditionally, Iceland is a summer destination, though its tourist season has gradually expanded to include winter months. As a result, the island sees most of its annual traffic in summer, with numerous seasonal flights—especially low-cost—arriving from across Europe and North America. Conversely, this is also when Icelanders travel to "sun destinations."

From France

From Paris

Icelandair and easyJet from Roissy, plus Transavia from Orly, serve Iceland in about 3 hours and 30 minutes. Other options involve connecting flights. Prices: 200 to 400 € round trip.

From the Provinces

Lyon and the Franco-Swiss airport of Basel-Mulhouse with EasyJet are the only two with direct flights to Iceland. For other cities, connecting flights are required.

From the Rest of Europe

Scheduled and Seasonal Flights

Two airlines dominate direct scheduled flights to and from the rest of Europe: Icelandair and the low-cost carrier EasyJet.

In season, the range of airlines expands, offering more departure cities. This serves a dual purpose: bringing foreign visitors to Iceland and providing holiday flights for Icelanders.

Greenland and the Faroe Islands

For those wishing to visit Greenland or the Faroe Islands (also accessible by ferry) from Iceland, there are regular and seasonal flights from several local airports. Atlantic Airways serves the Faroe Islands, while Air Greenland, Icelandair, and Norlandair fly to Greenland. The only downside: extremely expensive tickets!

From Another Country

North America

Icelandair’s network primarily connects Iceland to North America. It offers routes to the US (Boston, New York, Washington, etc.) and Canada (Halifax, Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver, etc.). Additionally, a few North American airlines like Delta, United, and Air Canada operate seasonal flights.

Elsewhere

Outside Europe and North America, no other continents have direct flights to Iceland, meaning connecting flights are necessary.