Following yesterday’s news regarding Play’s planned services to Baltimore and Boston, Icelandair has today announced that it will launch another transatlantic route in 2022.

Between May and October the carrier will fly between Reykjavik and Raleigh-Durham (RDU) in North Carolina.

Icelandair will deploy narrow-body B737 Max 8 aircraft on the route. These aircraft will accommodate 160 passengers and there will be four flights a week starting May 12.

As with Icelandair’s other transatlantic routes this will be a classic sixth-freedom (or transfer) operation where passengers coming to or from Europe feed its Reykjavik hub.

“We are excited to add to our extensive route network, offering nonstop flights to North Carolina with convenient connections from Europe,” said Icelandair’s president and CEO Bogr Nils Bogason.

Naturally RDU itself is keen to promote the route both as a means of reaching Iceland in addition to Europe – see the video clip below.

One interesting fact is that US airports such as RDU can attract new international carriers with financial assistance.

RDU has financial incentives for those airlines operating nonstop from destinations at least 1,400 nautical miles away and which have been unserved by the airport since 2019.

Such information is publicised in the US but almost unknown on this side of the Atlantic.

As for fares and schedules I suggest readers check with Icelandair as these will vary depending on travel dates and so on.

icelandair.com