UK - Iceland market

[davidjohnson6]

I note that over this summer there will be between 9 and 10 flights per day from London to Keflavik. Add in other UK airports and we get to a very large number of seats per day.

I know Keflavik is the main international airport but it puzzles me as to why no airline (eg WOW, Easyjet or Wizz) is interested in flying anywhere in Iceland besides Keflavik. In the past there were scheduled flights to Akureyri and there is the odd adhoc tour charter nowadays. With 2400 metres of runway, this route should be doable by a B737 / A320. Perhaps time for someone to broaden the UK - Iceland market ?

[AirportPlanner1]

Egilstaddir used to have regular service to Germany with LTU.

I think the problem is that the markets away from Reykjavik are extremely seasonal and that doesn’t really fit the LCC model. Road access to the sites of interest for tourists is only really reliable between May and September due to the weather. None of the towns away from Reykjavik have the infrastructure to cope with large numbers of people. The commercial offer in Egilstaddir for example amounts to a couple of basic hotels and a handful of shops.

[TBSC]

Wizz had a weekly Katowice-Egilsstadir charter for more than a year back in (maybe) 2006-2007 when the polish workers were building the dam. Not sure what changed since but it was not for a place for a regular commercial flight with 180+ seats. A dozen workers - including the director -; hand pump refueling, no ASU (APU would'n start you divert to KEF, APU fails on ground you face a 10 hours delay until they get one from KEF); no SITA in the office; 2 or 3 stands (if it's occupied you divert to KEF) etc etc.

[jensdad]

I've mentioned my theory about the UK-Iceland market a few times on the Newcastle thread: I'm prepared to be proved wrong but I suspect the Icelandic tourist industry is going to undergo what's politely called a 'correction' pretty soon. Most of the sort of people (hard to put your finger on but you know what I mean) who would want to go to Iceland seem to have been by now, and it's not the sort of place people will go back to on a regular basis simply because it is so expensive. I only know three - and I'm one of them - who have done anything other than three or four days in Reykjavik taking in the Golden Circle Tour, The Blue Lagoon, then off home to tell everyone they've 'done Iceland'. Might not be a bad thing because, as mentioned, there isn't the infrastructure outside Reykjavik to cope with anything like a decent sized tourist industry.
Just my two penn'orth... :)

[tubby linton]

A large number of operators will not use BIAR as an alternate for KEF because it poses too many problems.
Here is a brief summary-
The approach to the northerly runway is down a valley with a left turn at the bottom to align with the runway. Due to very strong winds crosswinds and turbulence can be a problem.
The ramp is very small and can only accomodate 3-4 aircraft. A departure to the south will cause performance problems due to the terrain.
The owner of Wow sees the airline as a long haul airline with KEF as a hub. He is not really interested in visitors to Iceland but ones carrying on to North America and soon travelling the opposite way to Asia

[AirportPlanner1]

jensdad, I’ve been quite a few times and circled the country and I know what you mean. The rest of the country is amazing, but the number of people wanting to take advantage of the incredible hiking, nature etc on offer and with the time and inclination to get there is I would say a tiny percentage of the market.

When I first went a long time back thinking £150 on Go was an absolute steal I never dreamt the day would come when Icelandair would be offering returns for £69. Back then the only other option was Icelandair from LHR or GLA at very high cost.

I am certain there will be fewer airlines and frequencies plying the route in 2019 than there is today. Not so long ago it was unthinkable there would be competition from any one single London airport, let alone four of them. Other UK cities such as Belfast even more so.

[inOban]

I recently attended a talk and picture show from a local yachtsman who had sailed right round. He found most of it very samey, and not worth visiting again, and his pictures bore that out. Only area near Reykjavik was interesting, but he didn't explore any of the interior.

[AirportPlanner1]

I recently attended a talk and picture show from a local yachtsman who had sailed right round. He found most of it very samey, and not worth visiting again, and his pictures bore that out. Only area near Reykjavik was interesting, but he didn't explore any of the interior.

Absolute rubbish. The coastline, geography and attractions of the south-west (Reykjavik area), south coast, north-west, north, and eastern fjords are completely different. A simple google image search will prove that.

[Heathrow Harry]

I've mentioned my theory about the UK-Iceland market a few times on the Newcastle thread: I'm prepared to be proved wrong but I suspect the Icelandic tourist industry is going to undergo what's politely called a 'correction' pretty soon. Most of the sort of people (hard to put your finger on but you know what I mean) who would want to go to Iceland seem to have been by now, and it's not the sort of place people will go back to on a regular basis simply because it is so expensive. I only know three - and I'm one of them - who have done anything other than three or four days in Reykjavik taking in the Golden Circle Tour, The Blue Lagoon, then off home to tell everyone they've 'done Iceland'. Might not be a bad thing because, as mentioned, there isn't the infrastructure outside Reykjavik to cope with anything like a decent sized tourist industry.
Just my two penn'orth... :)

Yes - I read the Icelandic tourist organisation believes this as well. They see a longer term (and a lot smaller) but more $$ per visit from returnees and a replacement of some, but not all, of the 1 visit bodies from the USA, China and Japan etc as word spreads. But medium term we can expect a loss of the current levels of UK-Iceland connectivity

[vctenderness]

Iceland is one place high on my list of must see places. However due to the high prices for food, drink accommodation etc. I am considering the best option is to take a cruise where accommodation, food and drink,is already provided.

Also the cruises take in more destinations in Iceland than just Reyjavik. So no need to fly.

[Jamesair]

Jensdad......There are, in fact, several cruise options covering Iceland sailing out of Port of Tyne both this year and next, by more than one operator, plus two charters for Iceland holidays from Newcastle in 2019

[wub]

Iceland can barely cope with the massive increase in tourism is recent years. As a frequent visitor I have observed just how busy the island has become and how much the ever expanding airport is struggling to deal with the massive influx of tourists.

[jthjth]

Iceland is one place high on my list of must see places. However due to the high prices for food, drink accommodation etc. I am considering the best option is to take a cruise where accommodation, food and drink,is already provided.

Also the cruises take in more destinations in Iceland than just Reyjavik. So no need to fly.
i went to Iceland in March. I didn’t find the place to be that expensive to be honest. No worse than being a tourist in, say, London or Paris. Tourism has gone up from roughly half a million visits per year pre financial crash to two million now. A great factor in this is the ability for N America to Europe tourists to stop off for up to a week at no extra cost (to their air tickets). British tourists were in the minority. Lots if people from USA and Canada. As one of our tour guides said, its the first place you can get to in three hours flying that is not still N America. We did three separate all day coach tours and only saw a fraction of the place. People from a cruise ship were going round at break neck speed only seeing a few highlights.

[AirportPlanner1]

I am considering the best option is to take a cruise.

Thats certanly your worst option, unless disability prevents you taking other means. There are only limited places they can dock and you’ll get shuttled round at their convenience to a few mainstream sites.

Best option is to hire a car and circle the place on your own schedule, there’s plenty of cabins and small hotels to stay in as you travel round. Or you can actually traverse the island by bus, if you’re willing to slum it slightly here and there.

[jensdad]

Best option is to hire a car and circle the place on your own schedule, there’s plenty of cabins and small hotels to stay in as you travel round. Or you can actually traverse the island by bus, if you’re willing to slum it slightly here and there.


Not sure about the situation now, but when I went in 2010 internal flights on Air Iceland /Flugfelag Islands were very cheap. I flew from Reykjavik to Isafjordur for I seem to remember about £30. Meandering my way back from Isafjordur to Reykjavik was, as you say, a bit basic and required a bit of planning - one bus route in the Westfjords only operated three times a week. All part of the appeal of going to somewhere 'off the beaten track' though!