Icelandair Group (Iceland: ICEAIR) returns to Pennsylvania with today’s announcement of our newest American gateway of Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT). Flights now on sale starting at $499 round-trip!
This new service opens the Appalachia region of the American Midwest to new options for traveling to Iceland and beyond. Seasonal service begins May 16, 2024 and runs through October 27, 2024 utilizing our newest aircraft, the Boeing (NYSE: BA) 737 MAX-8. Flights will operate four times weekly, on Sundays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
To celebrate today’s exciting announcement, sale fares to Iceland starting at $499 round-trip, including all taxes and fees, are available to book now through Wednesday, November 8!
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Toulouse, France, 06 July 2023 – Icelandair, the main Icelandic airline based in Keflavik, has placed a firm order for 13 Airbus A321XLR. The order makes Icelandair a new Airbus customer. The airline is also planning to lease four A321LR’s.
With its extra long range, the A321XLR will allow Icelandair to seize new market opportunities. The aircraft will also enable the airline to reduce its operating costs, support its sustainability targets and at the same time offer its passengers the best in cabin comfort.
The A321XLR is the next evolutionary step forward from the A320neo responding to market needs for even more range and payload, and creating more value for the airlines. It will deliver an unprecedented Xtra Long Range of up to 4,700nm – 15% more range than the A321LR and with 30% lower fuel burn per seat compared with previous generation competitor aircraft, as well as reduced NOx emissions and noise. For passengers, the A321XLR’s new Airspace cabin will provide the best travel experience, while offering seats in all classes with the same high-comfort as on a long-haul wide-body, with the low costs of a single-aisle aircraft. By the end of May 2023, the A320neo Family had accumulated more than 8,750 orders from 136 customers worldwide.
In early September 2021, adventurer and photographer Chris Burkard traveled to Iceland to cycle an adapted version of the Westfjords Way, an incredible new touring route through some of Iceland’s most remote parts. Chris and his friends cycled over 1000km (650 miles) through winding fjords and remote villages in the super-scenic northwest corner of the country.
(Reuters) – Air New Zealand Ltd said on Tuesday it had outlined requirements to suppliers as part of plans to replace its fleet of De Havilland Canada Dash 8 Q300 turboprops with lower-emissions technology by around 2030.
“The ideal candidate aircraft will be a drop in replacement for the Q300 for seamless integration into the existing Air New Zealand turboprop network, which may include retrofit of the existing aircraft,” the airline said.
Sky Lagoon, Iceland’s newest geothermal bathing hotspot, opened in Reykjavik last week. If you know Iceland, you know that soaking in warm water is a favorite national pastime. Sky Lagoon is one of the new breed of designer pools catering to locals and visitors looking for sweet soaking opportunities in Instagram-worthy landscapes.
The opening weekend for Sky Lagoon was a big, buzz-worthy success, with media coverage and plenty of gorgeous photos flooding social media. The sun shone brightly and in an incredible stroke of good fortune, Sky Lagoon’s huge, 75-meter (246ft) infinity-edge pool and the large windows of the designer sauna enjoy a view across the ocean to the Icelandic president’s residence, and in the distance, an erupting volcano on the peninsula. The view – of smoke plumes, and a red glow when the conditions are favorable – is one the architects could have only dreamed about in the planning stages of the complex. A front-row seat for rosy sunsets completes the appeal, and we can imagine winter soaks under northern lights adding an extra wow factor.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has completed sale-and-leaseback transactions for 11 aircraft, comprising seven Airbus A350-900’s and four Boeing 787-10’s, raising approximately S$2.0 billion in total.
The transactions were arranged by four different parties, as follows:
Lease Arranger
Aircraft
Aergo Capital Limited
1 Airbus A350-900 1 Boeing 787-10
Altavair
4 Airbus A350-900’s
EastMerchant / Crianza Aviation
1 Airbus A350-900 2 Boeing 787-10’s
Muzinich and Co. Limited
1 Airbus A350-900 1 Boeing 787-10
Total
11
SIA has successfully raised approximately S$15.4 billion in fresh liquidity since 1 April 2020, including these sale-and-leaseback transactions. The amount also includes S$8.8 billion from SIA’s successful rights issue, S$2.1 billion from secured financing, S$2.0 billion via the issuance of convertible bonds and notes, as well as more than S$500 million through new committed lines of credit and a short-term unsecured loan.
SIA continues to have access to more than S$2.1 billion in committed credit lines, along with the option to raise up to S$6.2 billion in additional mandatory convertible bonds before the Annual General Meeting in July 2021.
During this period of high uncertainty, as the airline industry continues to navigate the unprecedented challenges caused by the Covid-19 pandemic, the SIA Group will continue to explore additional means to raise liquidity as necessary.
Mr. Goh Choon Phong, Singapore Airlines Chief Executive Officer, said: “The additional liquidity from these sale-and-leaseback transactions reinforces our ability to navigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic from a position of strength. We will continue to respond nimbly to the evolving marketing conditions, and be ready to capture all possible growth opportunities as we recover from this crisis.”
Sky Lagoon, Iceland’s newest geothermal bathing hotspot, opened in Reykjavík last week. If you know Iceland, you know that soaking in warm water is a favorite national pastime. Sky Lagoon is one of the new breed of designer pools catering to locals and visitors looking for sweet soaking opportunities in Instagram-worthy landscapes.
The opening weekend for Sky Lagoon was a big, buzz-worthy success, with media coverage and plenty of gorgeous photos flooding social media. The sun shone brightly and in an incredible stroke of good fortune, Sky Lagoon’s huge, 75-meter (246ft) infinity-edge pool and the large windows of the designer sauna enjoy a view across the ocean to the Icelandic president’s residence at Bessastaðir, and in the distance, the erupting volcano on the Reykjanes peninsula. The view – of smoke plumes, and a red glow when the conditions are favorable – is one the architects could have only dreamed about in the planning stages of the complex. A front-row seat for rosy sunsets completes the appeal, and we can imagine winter soaks under northern lights adding an extra wow factor.
Visiting Sky Lagoon
Sky Lagoon is just a few kilometres from downtown Reykjavík, at Kársnes harbor in Kópavogur. Note that it’s not a place for people with young kids, as admission to the lagoon starts at 12 years of age.
Visitors have a choice of 2 packages, with the main difference being in the changing facilities. The more expensive Sky Pass includes private changing rooms with use of Sky Lagoon’s premium hair- and skincare amenities. Both entry passes – the cheaper Pure Pass, and the Sky Pass – include lagoon admission and access to the 7-step ‘Ritual’, which takes place inside a turfhouse inspired by an age-old Icelandic building tradition. There’s an in-water bar serving drinks, plus a stylish cafe and snack bar in the complex building.
Throughout the stylishly rustic complex, visitors can see design elements that draw inspiration from Icelandic nature and heritage, from the turfhouse to turf walls and plunge pool.
The Ritual
Sky Lagoon presents The Ritual as a ‘rejuvenating journey that awakens your senses and leaves your skin healthy and glowing’. It combines warm and cold waters, warm steam, dry heat and fresh air.
Step 1: Slow down in the warm waters of the lagoon.
Step 2: Take a cold plunge in a pool inspired by Snorralaug in West Iceland, thought to have been in use since the 12th century.
Step 3: Sweat and swoon over the view from the sauna.
Step 4: Cool down under a cold mist.
Step 5: Use the body scrub (provided) to awaken your skin.
Step 6: Sit and inhale in the steam room.
Step 7: Rinse off the scrub in the shower and return to the lagoon.
Geothermal bliss
If you like the sound of Sky Lagoon, Iceland has a lot more treats that are right up your alley. There’s a growing number of geothermal spas springing up around the country, creating an incidental itinerary for road-trippers looking to end each day with a scenic soak.
Aside from Sky Lagoon, one of the newest to hit the scene is Vök Baths (pictured below) in East Iceland, where the highlight is 2 floating pools set in lake waters.
All year round, these complexes draw bathers to their warm waters. In the wise words of one local, “Iceland’s sunshine doesn’t come from the sky, it comes from the water.”
Last week, an Icelandair (Iceland: ICEAIR.IC) Boeing 767 (TF-ISN), landed at Troll airfield (QAT) at the Troll research station operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. The flight was operated by Loftleiðir (Icelandair’s charter-flight subsidiary) to offload provisions for the research station’s staff who will remain at Troll this winter, and to pick up scientists returning to Norway after their summer service. Some of the scientists had been at Troll for 16 months and were happy to be heading home.
The flight
The journey involved a lot of planning due to the unique conditions, and involved 6 pilots, 13 crew and 1 flight engineer.
From Keflavík airport in Iceland, the plane flew nonstop to Cape Town, South Africa, where it paused for a rest and refueling stop. Some of the team stayed in Cape Town and the remainder flew 4,332km south to Troll in 5 hours and 43 minutes.
After a 2-hour layover at Troll, the aircraft returned with the Norwegian passengers to Cape Town, picked up the fresh crew, and continued on to Oslo, then home to Iceland.
According to flight commander August Hakansson, landing conditions at Troll were far better than forecast. And the worst weather of the entire trip was upon the return to Keflavík!
The flight route was so unusual that it attracted worldwide attention from aviation fans and media, including over 30,000 followers on Flightradar. And although it might seem crazy, this isn’t Icelandair’s first time in the Deep South – back in 2015, Icelandair became the first commercial airline to land a plane on a blue-ice runway in Antarctica.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, many countries have implemented travel restrictions. Here we have collected information on various travel restrictions to destinations that we fly to. Please be advised that the following is subject to change on short notice. We will attempt to update you as promptly as possible.
If you do not have a flight in the next 72 hours we kindly ask you to consider contacting us in a few days. Due to high volumes for incoming calls and requests, we apologize for the delay in our responses. We will do our best to post any updates on our website and social media as soon as the latest information is available.
If you have a ticket with Icelandair and are affected by these restrictions, please read our FAQ.
FILE
PHOTO: Bikes by a bike rental service of Icelandic airline WOW air are
seen in Reykjavik, Iceland, August 5, 2017. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/File
Photo
(Reuters)
– Iceland’s WOW air became the latest budget airline casualty on
Thursday, halting operations and cancelling all future flights after
efforts to raise more funds failed.
WOW,
which focussed on low-cost travel across the Atlantic, advised stranded
travellers to seek flights with other airlines. It flew a total of 3.5
million passengers last year.
“This
is probably the hardest thing I have ever done but the reality is that
we have run out of time and have unfortunately not been able to secure
the funding of the company,” WOW CEO and founder Skuli Mogensen wrote in
a letter to the company’s 1,000 employees.
“I will never be able to forgive myself for not taking action sooner,” he added.
WOW
had earlier postponed flights on Thursday as it entered what it had
hoped were the final stages of an equity raising with a group of
investors.
“My
flight from Boston has been cancelled. Having a hard time getting
through to anyone on the phone. Can you help me at all?” Twitter user
Marc Solari wrote.
WOW replied with an apology and offer of further assistance.
WOW
is the latest budget airline to collapse as the European airline sector
grapples with over-capacity and high fuel costs. Recent failures
include Britain’s Flybmi, Nordic budget airline Primera Air and Cypriot
counterpart Cobalt.
“RESCUE FARES”
Other
airlines including, Icelandair, Easyjet and Norwegian stepped in
offering discounted ‘rescue fares’ to stranded passengers, according to
the Icelandic Transport Authority
WOW has been pursuing different avenues to raise money over the past few months.
It
ended talks with rival Icelandair last Sunday while veteran low-cost
airline investor Bill Franke also had cancelled a proposed investment
through private equity fund Indigo Partners.
Icelandair shares traded up 13 percent percent at 1215 GMT after the failure of a competitor.
Founded
in 2011 by entrepreneur Mogensen, WOW used smaller single-aisle planes
to fly between Iceland and many destinations in the United States and
Europe.
Its
website had advertised flights from London to cities such as New York
and Boston for as little as 150 pounds, although the journey went via
the Icelandic capital Reykjavik.
Norwegian
Air has a little over half of the market share in the fast-growing,
low-cost, long-haul transatlantic market, while WOW controlled a quarter
in 2018.
There are fears of a knock-on effect on Iceland’s important tourism industry.
Around
30 percent of tourists visiting Iceland last year flew with WOW and the
collapse could trigger a 16 percent drop in tourists this year,
research from Icelandic bank Arion showed.
( By Stine Jacobsen and Tommy Lund; editing by Darren Schuettler/Keith Weir)
Barcelona, Spain – December 06, 2018: WOW Air Airbus A321 approaching to El Prat Airport in Barcelona, Spain.
