Iceland is not a very big country with an area of 102,775 km², similar to Portugal. But Reykjavík is not located in the centre of the county but in its South-West corner. Those who live in the largest town of the countryside, Akureyri (population 19,000) have three options if they need to go to Reykjavík. They can drive a distance of 380 kms which takes about five hours. They can take the bus which takes six and a half hours and is very expensive as it costs ISK 10,340 (74€). Or they can fly: Air Iceland Connect offers four or five flights most day. The average flight time is 30 to 35 minutes only and prices vary between 50€ and 170€.
You can get to the airport from downtown in Akureyri by taxi in about five minutes for ISK 2100 (15€) or it’s a pleasant 45 minutes walk along the fjord if the weather is nice. The runway lies on an artificial island on the fjord and is certainly very spectacular.
Most of the flights are to Reykjavík, all of them with Air Iceland Connect, the domestic airline of Icelandair. There are also flights to Keflavík (Reykjavík’s international airport) that are also available if you have a connecting international flight. There are occasional charters to Europe. Smaller aircrafts (Twin Otters and a Beachcraft B200) operated by Norlandair also fly from Akureyri to Grímsey island (flight distance: 100 kms, population: 61), to the small towns of Vopnafjörður in Iceland and Þórshöfn and Nerlerit Inaat (formerly: Constable Point) in Greenland near the small town of Ittoqqortoormiit that has a population of about 450 people and is the largest place for North-East Greenland, a territory as big as France.
Norlandair is the local airline in Akureyri
Akureyri Flight School
The terminal building
Check-in is usually very quick, especially that most people check in on-line and have hand luggage only
There’s a small café and snack bar inside
The only boarding gate
Our plane, TF-FXA, a Q400 was built in 2000 but it is in a very good condition. It was used previously by SAS, Flybe and Air Niguini. It arrived from Reykjavík at 20.35
Boarding was by walking. It started at 20.45 and was completed by 20.55.
The cabin is in a 2+2 configuration. The seats are quite new and comfortable. Note that row 1 has seats only the left side (1AC) but not on the other side.
The view of the terminal from the plane
An expected flight time of 35 minutes was announced. We left our parking position at 21.05 and we took off at 21.08 for a scheduled departure time of 20.50.
We had some very nice views over Akureyri on the left side
Coffee, tea or water and chocolate are offered during the flight
The on-board magazine is in English and in Icelandic
Air Iceland’s domestic routes
They also fly to Greenland and to the Faroe Islands
The weather was nice from about half way. Langjökull (Long Glacier) is the second largest icecap in Iceland
Lake Þingvallavatn
We’re almost in Reykjavík. Note that there’s a 24 hour daylight in Iceland from late May till early August
A new neighbourhood in the suburb of Kópavogur
Horses are kept in this area
The town of Hafnarfjörður
The view just before landing
We landed at 21.43 for a scheduled arrival time of 21.35.
Reykjavík Domestic Airport is so much in the city centre that you can easily walk there. Otherwise it’s just a few minutes’ drive.
Thank you for reading my flight report.
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Verdict
Air Iceland Connect
8.0/10
Cabin8.0
Cabin crew8.0
Entertainment/wifi8.0
Meal/catering8.0
Akureyri - AEY
9.3/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0
Reykjavík - RKV
9.3/10
Efficiency10.0
Access9.0
Services8.0
Cleanliness10.0
Conclusion
Domestic flights in Iceland are usually a nice experience: small airports, quick check-in, quick boarding, comfortable cabins and fantastic views when the weather is nice.
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Hi David, nice to see a report on Air Iceland! I really like the north and Akureyri is a beautiful small city in a lovely natural setting. The cabins of these Q400s are still looking quite new. This really is the perfect aircraft for these short domestic hops. Nice aerials...you got lucky with some nice clear weather!
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6 Comments
Thanks for sharing!
Funny that traveling by bus is much longer and more expensive than flying.
Nice scenery all along your pics.
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