Niceair, a startup based in Akureyri (AEY) (northern Iceland), aims to launch operations on June 2, 2022, with flights to Spain, Denmark, and the United Kingdom.
The company intends to meet North Iceland’s growing demand from locals and foreign tourists, improving living conditions in the region. To this end, the company secured a 150-passenger Airbus A319, an aircraft that is capable of operating out of Akureyri’s small airport.
“The Niceair Foundation follows two years of research work in collaboration with domestic and foreign stakeholders. The company’s intention is to establish regular year-round flights to foreign destinations from Akureyri Airport.” According to Þorvaldur Lúðvík Sigurjónsson, CEO of Niceair.
There is quite a lot of anticipation for this airline in the community: several companies in North Iceland have invested about 8 percent of the shares.
“It can be estimated that about 20 jobs will be created in Akureyri, but the crews will be both domestic and foreign, and the wages will be comparable to those in the Icelandic labor market. Crew training will be carried out both in Iceland and abroad,” Nice air said.
Destinations will be announced in the coming weeks and sales will begin immediately thereafter on the company’s website, www.niceair.is.
Akureyri Airport
Akureyri has a population of 18,191 and is the second-largest urban area after Iceland’s capital, Reykjavík. The airport received more than 19,000 flights and 202,000 passengers annually prior to the pandemic.
Currently, it has 3-4 daily flights to Reykjavik (RKV) with Icelandair, in de Havilland Dash 8-200/400 aircraft, and Norlandair, with Twin Otter, provides 3-7 flights a week to Grímsey Island and 5 weekly flights to Vopnafjörður and Þórshöfn. During the winter season, it receives some charter flights from Transavia, Easyjet and others.
“We are very happy to have our own airline at Akureyri Airport. Here in the north, there is a rapidly growing urban community that must have scheduled flights between countries to major destinations for people and cargo,” said Hjördís Þórhallsdóttir, airport manager of Akureyri Airport in the announcement.
Most foreign tourists heading to northern Iceland must first arrive at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) and transfer to Reykjavik Metropolitan Airport (KEF), some 49 kilometers away.
“It has been a joint effort by many stakeholders here in the north for a long time to build the destination and this is a very positive and big step we see here taken,” said Hjördís Þórhallsdóttir, airport manager of Akureyri Airport in the announcement.
The company reported that it partnered with Dohor, a platform that will facilitate booking flights directly between Akureyri and other foreign destinations from airports operated by Niceair.
Tourism in Iceland and flights to Spain
Tourism is a key driver of Iceland’s macroeconomic growth, according to Íslandsbanki Research. The platform estimates that up to 1.2 million tourists will arrive in the country in 2022, 40% less than in the peak, pre-pandemic years.
UK and Denmark have been the biggest concentrators of tourists from Iceland. And these are the main destinations that Niceair will target, although the surprise was they selected Spain.
The last few months have seen an increase in flights between Iceland and Spain. For the northern summer season, Icelandair, PLAY, and Vueling will be present in many Spanish cities. Those are: Alicante (ALC), Barcelona (BCN), Gran Canaria (LPA), Madrid (MAD), Malaga (AGP), Palma de Mallorca (PMI), and Tenerife (TFS).
See also: Icelandair will maintain year-round flights between Alicante and Reykjavik
Between June and September, they will have 131,680 seats available, being 31% higher than 2019 when 100,504 seats were accounted for in the same period, according to Cirium.
Niceair would largely boost Akureyri, a popular destination in Iceland. With outdoor tourism booming, the city offers museums, the world’s northernmost botanical garden, the country’s best ski area, and good hiking trails.
See also: Icelandair and PLAY increase flights between Iceland and Spain
The city is also a good base for many of Iceland’s natural wonders. For instance waterfalls, volcanic areas, and canyons. It offers activities such as rafting, hiking, fishing, whale watching, and horseback riding. It is also the departure point for Grimsey, Iceland’s northernmost island. From this gateway, visitors can pass the Arctic Circle and discover the area’s birdlife, which includes the rare Atlantic puffin.
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