Icelandair is resuming seasonal flights between Reykjavik and US tourist hot spot, Orlando, Florida, starting from September 15. Including the resumption of Orlando services, Icelandair now lists routes to 15 destinations in North America.

Icelandair operates to more than 50 destinations in Europe, North America, Greenland and Iceland. The airline advises the service, from Reykjavik Keflavik Airport (KEF) to Orlando International Airport (MCO), will operate three times a week from September 15, 2022, until May 30, 2023. To meet growing demand, Icelandair has returned almost all of its aircraft into service, with ch-aviation.com data showing 33 out of 44 aircraft operating. Outside of five De Havilland DHC-8s that are wet-leased, it is an all-Boeing fleet, comprising ten B737 MAX 8s, four B737 MAX 9s, 18 B757-200s, two B757-300s and three B767-300ERs. Extra cargo capacity comes from one B757-200(PCF) and one B757-200(PF).

North America is working well for Icelandair

Icelandair 737 MAX Aircraft
Photo: Icelandair.

On its North American routes, Icelandair has published these schedules:

  • Baltimore Washington International (BWI) 4x weekly year-round
  • Boston Logan International (BOS) 20 x weekly year-round
  • Chicago O'Hare International (ORD) 12 x weekly year-round
  • Denver International (DEN) 7 x weekly year-round
  • Minneapolis-St Paul International (MSP) 7 x weekly start April 28, 2022, but no flights Jan-Feb 2023
  • Montréal-Trudeau International (YUL) 3 x weekly July 6, 2022, to September 11, 2022
  • New York (JFK) 14 x weekly year-round
  • New York Newark Liberty (EWR) 7 x weekly year-round
  • Orlando International (MCO) 3 x weekly September 9, 2022, to May 30, 2023
  • Portland International (PDX) 4 x weekly May 10, 2022, to October 31, 2022
  • Raliegh-Durham International 4 x weekly May 12, 2022, to October 30, 2022
  • Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) 14 weekly year-round
  • Toronto Pearson International (YYZ) 13 x weekly year-round
  • Vancouver International (YVR) 4 x weekly May 17, 2022, to October 31, 2022
  • Washington Dulles International (IAD) 1 x weekly year-round.

In Europe, Icelandair has 27 destinations, including Tenerife (TFS), Salzburg (SZG), Oslo (OSL), Manchester (MAN), Dublin (DUB), Rome (FCO) and Nice (NCE). It also operates to four destinations in neighboring Greenland and three domestically in Iceland.

Icelandair and World Atlantic join forces after DOT battle

Icelandair Boeing 757-23N TF-FIC (4) Pace
Icelandair will use a Boeing B757 to operate charter flights between the US and Cuba on behalf of World Atlantic Airlines. Photo: Vincenzo Pace I Simple Flying

Last month, Icelandair won approval to fly up to 31 round trip flights a week between the United States and Cuba under a wet lease agreement with World Atlantic Airlines. The US Department of Transportation (DOT) approved the wet lease arrangement despite strong objections from pilot unions, including the Air Line Pilots Association, and other US carriers. The objectors argued that the contract should be awarded to US carriers, thereby creating economic activity and jobs within the US. The DOT rejected those arguments and granted Icelandair permission to operate the charters, using one of their Boeing B757s, from July 14 until October 15, 2022.

Discover more aviation news here!

In an insight into their reasoning, DOT said that World Atlantic had clearly argued why Icelandair was best suited to meet its needs. DOT added that this factor, along with other findings, "supports the granting of the requested authority under our well-established public interest standards for considering requests of this nature." The partnership between Icelandair and World Atlantic adds a touch of irony, given that World Atlantic was one of a group of airlines who had earlier objected to Icelandair operating charter flights to Cuba on behalf of tour operators, an argument that DOT also rejected.