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Which airlines fly directly to Iceland?

Iceland’s location in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean means that it’s a relatively short flight from many North American and European destinations. The majority of international flights land at Keflavik Airport, some of whom offer included stopovers at no additional cost for those who wish to combine the two. With convenient departure and arrival times, easily arranged car hire and straightforward onward journeys to Reykjavik and beyond, it’s a tempting proposition for visitors.
22.11.2024

In this article we’ll take a brief look at the airlines that fly direct to and from Iceland. Note, though, that schedules change frequently and vary from season to season, so always check the current situation with your preferred airline before finalising any plans.

Icelandair

As you’d expect, the Icelandic national airline operates the broadest schedule of direct flights to Keflavik. For instance, it serves significant North American hubs such as New York, Chicago, Minneapolis and Washington DC as well as regional destinations with fewer onward connections like Nashville, Portland, Pittsburgh, Raleigh-Durham and Orlando.

In addition Icelandair is a codeshare partner with US carriers JetBlue and Alaskan, which in practice opens up their networks to guests flying to or from Keflavik. Southwest Airlines will follow suit in 2025, having signed an agreement with Icelandair in autumn 2024. Similar partnerships are in place with Nordic carriers such as Finnair and SAS, as well as Atlantic Airways and Air Greenland, facilitating two-centre holidays. Other carriers such as Turkish Airlines, Emirates, TAP Portugal and Air Baltic also have partnerships or codeshare agreements with Icelandair.

Play

Budget carriers have been quick to recognise the potential generated by Iceland’s mid-Atlantic location. It’s possible to make short haul hops from both North American and European destinations. They also market the option of pairing the two as a connecting flight, with or without a layover.

Among the many European destinations served by Play are London, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Amsterdam and Tenerife. Travel in the opposite direction and you could disembark in Washington Dulles, Baltimore-Maryland and Boston. However it pays to check the airport details carefully. Fly to New York and you’ll be delivered to Stewart, while Toronto’s gets you to the city’s Hamilton Airport.

easyJet

easyJet is another low-cost airline that connects Europe to Iceland. While the majority of its flights touch down in Keflavik, it has also recently made what’s proving to be a successful foray into Akureyri in North iceland with direct winter season flights from London and Manchester in the UK.

A much wider range of UK destinations can reach Keflavik with this airline. These include Bristol, Birmingham and Edinburgh. In addition, a couple of mainland European destinations are connected – they operate flights to the Italian city of Milan and to the French capital via Paris Orly.

Wizz

Wizz is a Hungarian-based low-cost carrier with a large European network. It flies mostly to central and eastern Europe. Currently it offers twice-weekly flights to Keflavik from Budapest in winter, rising to three times a week in summer. Another European capital connected to Iceland by Wizz Air flights is Vienna in Austria.

There are also multiple flights each week throughout the year to three Polish destinations, which are Warsaw, Katowice and Gdansk. This reflects the fact that Polish people make up the largest expat population in Iceland. In addition Wizz also fly to two Italian cities direct from Keflavik. These are Milan and Rome.

Transavia

Dutch low-cost carrier Transavia tends to focus on holiday destinations, serving the Mediterranean in summer and the Alps in winter. However, it also offers direct flights to Keflavik Airport, reflecting Iceland’s enduring appeal as a destination for travellers wanting something a little different.

In winter, there are three or four flights per week between Amsterdam’s Schipol Airport and Keflavik. Currently there are no summer flights on the schedule. However, Transavia flew direct from Amsterdam to Iceland in summer as recently as 2020, so if demand picks up this could easily change.

British Airways

British Airways has been keen to capitalise on the longstanding fascination Brits have with Iceland. Interestingly, more UK visitors land in Keflavik in the winter months than in summer, reflecting their enthusiasm for Northern Lights hunts and a desire to spend summers somewhere much warmer.

BA picks up some of the market share amid stiff competition from low-cost carriers such as Play and easyJet. Year round, it offers one or two direct daily flights from London Heathrow Airport to Keflavik. Passengers can also connect via BA’s domestic flight network to destinations in the north of England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.

Finnair and SAS

As a Nordic nation, Iceland has strong ties with Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. Finnair is has a bilateral codeshare agreement with Icelandair and also offers its own direct service from Helsinki to Keflavik. In addition it offers indirect flights via Oslo, Stockholm and Copenhagen.

Scandinavian carrier SAS flies direct between Keflavik Airport and the Norwegian capital Oslo. It also offers a non-stop service to Copenhagen in Denmark. To reach Stockholm, however, Swedes must fly via the Danish capital before reaching their own. Other destinations, such as those in North America, would be reached by connecting flights also.

Other European airlines

Air Baltic serves two destinations from Keflavik via direct flights. These are the Latvian capital Riga and the Estonian capital Tallinn. Edelweiss serves Zurich. In winter, there’s a weekly departure, while in spring this rises to two flights per week and in peak season three flights per week.

Lufthansa, Germany’s national carrier, also operates direct flights to Keflavik to Frankfurt Main, from where onward connections can be arranged to cities such as Berlin. In summer, Austrian Airlines also run a limited service direct to their capital Vienna. The Faroese airport at Vagar also enjoys a direct link to Iceland, this time with Atlantic Airways.

North American airlines

Delta, United and American sometimes operate flights seasonally to Iceland. A close look at the statistics reveals that US travellers prefer to visit Iceland during the summer months and so direct flights cease around October. Destinations offered in this way by Delta have included Detroit, JFK and Minneapolis.

Meanwhile American Airlines has a similar policy. Direct flights in summer have previously connected Keflavik with destinations across the country. In summer 2025, United plan to serve Keflavik with direct flights via Chicago and also Newark. It’s worth signing up to email alerts with these airlines to stay abreast of schedule announcements as they’re made.

Hop on a direct flight to KEF

For a place with a population as small as Iceland’s, the fact that so many airlines around the world offer direct flights is a measure of how remarkable the country is. The landscapes are so extraordinary and there are so many unusual reasons to come and visit, so it’s no wonder that it’s relatively easy to jump on a plane.

Location also plays a big part; the ease of finding a non-stop link between Keflavík and so many destinations in Europe and North America owes a lot to its position right in the middle of the Atlantic. Whichever direction you’re travelling from, if you can be flexible with your holiday dates, there’s a strong likelihood you’ll be able to book a single-leg journey.