tto_nov_1-28_final

Ingi Þór Guðmundsson from Icelandair is discussing Air Iceland’s Greenland operation with Lykke Geisler Yakaboylu from VisitGreenland.
Air Iceland expand its
Greenland operation
Three new Bombardier Dash-8 Q400-planes give the Icelandic airline
more capacity on it’s domestic flights and it opens up the possibility of
opening new routes. Greenland is in the focus.
After 50 years of faithful service Air Iceland
is now phasing out the workhorse of
the sky over Iceland. It all began with Fokker
F-27’s in 1965 and continued with the
upgraded and more efficient F-50’s. In a
not so distant future the five Fokkers will
be sold, becoming a part of the aviation
history of Iceland.
Air Iceland already has changed saddle
and operates two Bombardier Dash-8
Q200 side by side with the Fokker-planes.
The Dash-planes are used both for domestic
flights and for Air Iceland’s Greenland
operation.
Within the coming months, namely
December, January and February
Air Iceland will have three Dash-
8 Q400 delivered. Two of those are
to be based at Air Icelands domestic
hub at the city airport of Reykjavik,
while the third plane will be
based at the international airport in
Keflavik.
From March 9. Air Iceland will
be part of a cooperation with its sister
company Icelandair opening a
route from Keflavik to Aberdeen in
Scotland four times a week. The bigger sister
with the jets will run the business, but
Air Iceland will run the operation providing
the plane and the staff.
“We are looking into a route from Keflavik
to Kangerlussuaq in Greenland in
order to boost tourism there. In fact we are
just waiting for the last few details to fall
into place,” Director of Sales and Marketing
Ingi Þór Guðmundsson, Air Iceland,
explains.
Air Iceland sees a great opportunity
of increasing combination tourism from
Iceland to Greenland. For many years
Kangerlussuaq airport has been the main
gateway to the country as all domestic
routes in Greenland spread out from here.
Kangerlussuaq is the last important
Greenlandic airport Air Iceland is missing
on its route map. It began with the route
from Reykjavik to Kulusuk at the east
coast of Greenland and further up north
east to Ittoqqortoormiit.
Next was Narsarsuaq in South Greenland
before the capital Nuuk and Ilulissat
on the west coast became part of Air Iceland’s
Greenland operation. Ilulissat has a
growth of 14 percent this year, while Nuuk
has had an increase of 9 percent according
to Ingi Þór Guðmundsson.
For some years Air Iceland felt
a drop in the numbers of domestic
passengers. Greenland helped to
keep the propellers rotate and now
Air Iceland is renewing its fleet –
ready for new challenges in a very
vibrant market.
In a few months Air Iceland will operate
three Dash-8 Q400, which take over from
a fleet of Fokker 50’s.
24
>> Travel Trade OUTBOUND - Scandinavia