NEW AIRLINE INCREASES ICELAND’S POPULARITY

Just six months after the launch of Iceland’s first low fare airline, CAA figures show a dramatic increase in air travel.

Air travel to and from Iceland has increased over 16% this year, more than 75% of which can be attributed to Iceland Express, the low fare airline that started offering daily flights to London and Copenhagen in February.

Almost all passenger traffic in and out of Iceland is by air. Statistics from the CAA in Iceland show that from January to July, 656.183 passengers flew in and out of Iceland via Keflavik, the country’s major international airport. The increase from the previous year was 91.892 passengers, with Iceland Express moving 69.390, or 75.5%. In the actual months of Iceland Express operations, March through July, its share of the increase was 85%. Statistics from the CAA in England show that from February to May, passenger traffic between London airports and Keflavik increased by 44%, of which Iceland Express’s share was 90%. Passenger traffic with Icelandair, the competition has increased by 4%.

Ludvik Georgsson, International Area Manager for Iceland Express commented. “The dramatic increase in travel to Iceland, shows that travellers have been starving for lower fares. Our fares are less than half the price of what the competition used to sell at, demonstrating what a hindrance previous high prices have been to Iceland’s tourism. As ‘the’ hub for low fare airlines, our location at London Stansted has also been key to our success, as passengers from all over Europe recognise Stansted as the departure point for the majority of low cost flights out of the UK. Travellers from outside the UK are using other low fare airlines to reach Stansted before moving on to Iceland. Even travellers from the Nordic countries, such as Goteborg, Esbjerg, Stockholm, Århus and Oslo have found out that sometimes Stansted is often more convenient than Copenhagen for ongoing travel to Iceland.”

Iceland Express is a no frills airline, with no length-of-stay restrictions, e-tickets are sold over the Internet and it’s very easy to change ticket dates and names. Fares to Iceland start at GBP 108 from London (Stansted) and DKK 1.276 from Copenhagen return, including taxes.

The Iceland Express call centre is open 7 days per week, from 08.00 - 22.00.