Good luck to them but 3hrs on a q400 is a step too far. My initial thoughts had been 757 which would've made a great connecting service but flying oceanic at a flight level in the mid twenties on a prop is too much much of a stretch. Easy's bus only takes 2hrs.

Not really much of a difference here to be honest, easyJet from BFS is blocked at 2hr 35 and Icelandair is blocked at 2hr 50 so extra 15 minutes block time.

The big difference is bobbing along at fl240 not being able to climb above the bumpy stuff makes a 3 hour flight seem like a 10 hour one. Another problem they are facing is its right on the edge of max range so any head winds will require a stop in Stornaway. We will not go into aircraft reliability or unexpected winds ETOPS etc. Will be very surprised if it even starts TBH..

Yes 3 times a week does seem rather ambitious unless they really push the onward connection model that Iceland is famous for. But either way 3hrs in a dash......

The seat map on the website shows a couple off rows fwd and aft not available for sale so maybe it's capacity restricted to get the range.

Easy's average flight time is around 2hrs. The block time allocated is generous but likely reflects the chance of significant winds. It will take every minute of the allocated 2hr 50 in a q400

But will EZY be stopping KEF in April?? Anybody know??

If both operating to KEF I cannot see the route being profitable

EZY is at a disadvantage to the Iceland - based operators who can offer onward transits. They're cutting back from EDI now WOW have started.

As mentioned before the Q400 does operate longer sectors than this one, SOU-ALC for example is longer than either the Air Iceland ABZ or BHD routes, and that's on an aircraft with more seats too. The Q400 has better range than pretty much anything else in it's size and efficiency category.

Stornoway? Why would you divert so early on a route with headwinds, when you could go to Egilsstadir (an Icelandair diversion airport) or Vagar if you really needed to?

Reliability could well be a non-issue. If we forget about a certain purple Q400 operator and look to Wideroe, their pilots have nothing but praise for the machine.. 'unusually very reliable for an aircraft' was the quote.


I'm not sure why you'd think the airline won't start the route, they launched Aberdeen a good while ago, so I'm sure they know what they are talking about.


Hopefully the prices will drop a little bit, but I look forward to using this service in the future, KEF can be a little bit manic during their rush hour but it's a good hub for connecting to North America.

Looks like Aldergrove just got another delivery of sour grapes.
What's wrong with the Dash ?
Oh it's not painted orange.

Wow plenty of response to most of my points however still no reference to bobbing about at fl240 ?? I'm disappointed...

Blah blah blah. Ya pays ya money ya takes yer chance.
EZY clearly exiting the route. Yes it's a long sector for a DH8 but ultimately from a customer perspective they have quite a lot more legroom than EZY and remove the need to be standing in a line to board the plane before its even on the ground including standing on a stairway for what seems ages, to be told hurry up please we have a 7 minute window to board the aircraft, sitting cramped up in cattle class.... No thanks I'd rather fly from a more convenient airport and have the option of transatlantic connections. Take away from the total journey time the time it takes to get out to BFS if you are a Belfast resident and the time spent standing around and queuing and you soon find its the quicker option.

FL240? Not too bad. Consider that the DCs and Constellations heading trans-Atlantic struggled to break FL180, at least not before the final quarter of the flight. Even the mighty Stratocruisers were sometimes stuck around FL160... My only concern about the Q400 on the route is the lack of baggage capacity for people connecting onwards.

You don't need to worry about baggage. The q400 can comfortably fit 75 bags in the two rear holds with 30 in hold 7, and 45 in hold 6. Then you always have the front locker hold although you would be lucky to get 5 in there. I've once seen 95 bags packed into the holds, we could have got a few more but the problem was the floor limitations and the weight in which the hold could support.

I do love some of the waffle in the forums. Anyone who thinks a q400 is more comfortable than a bus can't have flown much on either. Flybe used to run it on the odd LGW and leave bags behind. Reason? International connecting passengers with real baggage. If this is a niche replacement for easyJet's withdrawal then fair enough but as a gateway to the US I'd fly to pretty much any UK airport and jump on a jet before considering this... or just get the bus to Dub. I could fly to GLA, check-in, kill time in the lounge and still overtake this before it got near KEF.

Bristol to Iceland runs to April then becomes winter only. STN and BFS nothing after April. Are they winter only?

I would think the majority of people wouldn't care less if it's an Airbus or a Q400. They want to get somewhere, they book a flight, get on a plane of some description and hopefully get off at the other side.

And a majority of people would also be disappointed when they realise they are flying on a Q400 rather than an Airbus, a Jet seems the norm for most and a prop means old and slow to most people, us aviation enthusiasts with all the facts won't change that opinion.

Good to see another Airline setting up from Belfast.


How are the SN flights doing at this stage to Brussels?

They will care less after spending 3hrs transiting an Atlantic gale, bouncing through clouds that are too tall to be avoided and generally being tossed around like raggy dolls :)

Q400's are not a pretty place to be a passenger when it is windy and this routing is very likely to encounter windy conditions.

Why don't all the armchair spotters write to FI and advice them what a ludicrous idea it is to fly to Belfast. What are they thinking? If you don't like flying to Iceland on a DH4 then don't do it, but i'm sure there will be plenty who do.