At the northern edge of Iceland’s tourism map, Akureyri Airport is rapidly evolving from a modest regional hub into a strategic gateway for international visitors. New seasonal routes, a growing mix of airlines, and better ground transport links are positioning the airport as a serious alternative to Keflavík for travelers eager to explore North Iceland’s ski slopes, geothermal pools, and Arctic coastline without transiting through Reykjavík.
A Regional Airport with National Ambitions
Akureyri Airport serves the largest town in North Iceland and has long been a lifeline for domestic connections, linking the north to Reykjavík and smaller communities such as Grímsey, Þórshöfn and Vopnafjörður. The majority of traffic has traditionally been internal, with Icelandair maintaining several daily flights to Reykjavík and regional carrier Norlandair operating to remote settlements and to Greenland.
In recent years, however, Akureyri has quietly become the only airport in Iceland outside the Reykjavík–Keflavík system to maintain scheduled international commercial services. Seasonal flights operated by easyJet, Edelweiss and Transavia have put destinations like London Gatwick, Manchester, Amsterdam and Zurich onto the departure boards, signalling a clear shift in strategy to court foreign tourists.
For Iceland’s national airport operator Isavia and local tourism boards, these developments are not just about convenience. They are part of a broader effort to spread visitor numbers more evenly around the country and reduce pressure on the capital region, while giving North Iceland’s tourism industry a direct pipeline of international guests.
New Direct Routes Expand North Iceland’s Reach
The clearest sign of Akureyri Airport’s changing role is the rapid expansion of direct international routes. In the last few seasons, easyJet has committed to winter flights from London Gatwick and Manchester, operating twice weekly services that connect British travelers straight to the “Capital of the North” during the peak aurora and ski months. Tourism officials in North Iceland have framed these routes as the result of years of negotiations and joint marketing efforts with local operators.
From continental Europe, the network is widening as well. Edelweiss Air is scheduled to operate seasonal summer flights between Zurich and Akureyri, giving Swiss travelers and their neighbors a simplified route into the north, while Dutch carrier Transavia has linked Amsterdam with Akureyri on a seasonal basis. Charter specialists such as Voigt Travel and the Swiss agency Kontiki are layering additional seats into the market through dedicated packages that combine flights, accommodation and excursions across North Iceland.
Alongside these European links, Norlandair maintains scheduled international flights between Akureyri and Nerlerit Inaat (Constable Point) on the east coast of Greenland. Although modest in scale, this connection underscores Akureyri’s emerging role as a niche Arctic gateway, tying together tourism and specialist travel to some of the North Atlantic’s most remote locations.
Strategic Shift to Ease Pressure on Keflavík
For Iceland’s transport planners, the rise of Akureyri Airport as an international gateway fits into a broader strategy to diversify entry points into the country. Keflavík International Airport, near Reykjavík, still handles the vast majority of overseas arrivals, but surging visitor numbers over the last decade have highlighted the risks of over-concentration in a single hub, from congestion and environmental strain to vulnerability in the event of emergencies.
By routing a portion of winter and summer leisure traffic directly into North Iceland, Akureyri can help distribute tourism activity across regions. Visitors who once would have landed at Keflavík and either flown or driven north via Reykjavík can now bypass the capital completely, going straight into the areas where they plan to ski, whale-watch or explore the Arctic Coast Way. This reduces internal travel demand on the Reykjavík domestic airport and helps ease seasonal bottlenecks on the country’s main roads.
Isavia and regional tourism bodies see this as a way to support more sustainable growth, both for the industry and for local communities. Rather than funneling visitors through a single, heavily trafficked corridor, multiple entry points encourage longer stays in less-crowded corners of the country, while spreading the economic benefits of tourism further from the capital and into smaller towns around Eyjafjörður and beyond.
Terminal Upgrades and Ground Transport Improvements
Behind the scenes, Akureyri’s ambitions are underpinned by physical investments on the ground. A substantial extension of the passenger terminal, completed in phases and brought online in 2024, has increased capacity for security screening, check‑in and baggage handling, making it more practical to accommodate international flights alongside a busy domestic schedule. The upgraded facilities reflect a deliberate shift from a small regional outpost to a dual‑use airport capable of handling charter groups and scheduled international services.
Improvements have also been made in ground transport. Taxis and car‑rental services remain staples, but the introduction of the Akureyri Airport Bus, operated by local company Sýsli, has given visitors a pre-bookable shuttle connection into town timed with international arrivals. Recent changes to intercity bus services, including the integration of the airport into routes operated by national carrier Strætó in connection with domestic flights, are gradually making it easier for passengers to transfer onward to other communities in North Iceland without renting a car.
These advances are crucial for tour operators promoting flight-inclusive packages. A predictable, well‑coordinated ground transport network allows them to design itineraries that bring guests directly from the aircraft door to hotels, ski resorts or nature excursions, reinforcing Akureyri’s appeal as a convenient gateway rather than just a technical stop.
Tourism Industry Sees Opportunity in Direct Access
Local tourism businesses have been some of the most vocal advocates for international connectivity at Akureyri. Hotel owners, guides, ski operators and restaurateurs in the town and across the region have long argued that their growth potential was capped by reliance on Keflavík and Reykjavík, which forced visitors to add extra flight legs or long drives just to reach North Iceland.
The new direct routes are already shifting that dynamic. Packages built around easyJet’s winter flights from the United Kingdom, Voigt Travel’s Dutch charters, or upcoming Swiss services from Zurich allow operators to market North Iceland as a stand‑alone destination for week‑long winter breaks or summer exploration. Tourism agencies have publicly estimated that successful winter routes from the UK alone can generate thousands of additional overnight stays in North Iceland each week during the season.
In practice, this means fuller hotel occupancy in Akureyri during traditionally quieter months, more demand for activities such as Northern Lights hunts, snowmobiling, ski touring and whale watching, and more business for restaurants and shops in town. For rural communities along the Eyjafjörður coastline and on the Arctic Coast Way, the airport’s expanded network improves the viability of local guesthouses and small tour companies that have long relied on a short summer window.
Balancing Seasonality, Capacity and Sustainability
Even as Akureyri Airport’s international profile rises, authorities and industry leaders are conscious of the need to balance growth with environmental and community considerations. Many of the new routes are explicitly seasonal, concentrated in the winter aurora and ski period and the short summer peak. This strategy allows airlines to respond to demand without overwhelming the airport or surrounding infrastructure year‑round.
Seasonal scheduling also gives the local tourism sector time to adapt. Operators can scale staff and services around predictable peaks while preserving the quieter rhythms that residents value. At the same time, tourism organizations are working to extend the shoulder seasons, using the airport’s improved connectivity to promote spring and autumn travel focused on culture, food and nature rather than only the most iconic experiences.
Environmental questions are never far from the debate. Advocates for Akureyri’s expanded role point out that direct flights into North Iceland can actually reduce total internal travel distances and associated emissions for visitors whose primary goal is to explore the north. Instead of multiple domestic legs or long winter drives from Keflavík, a single international arrival into Akureyri can bring guests directly to their destination. Nonetheless, pressure remains on airlines and policymakers to pair capacity growth with greener operations, from fleet efficiency to airport energy use.
North Iceland as a Distinct Destination
As connectivity improves, Akureyri Airport is helping to redefine how international visitors think about Iceland’s geography. Rather than viewing the country solely through the lens of Reykjavík and the popular Golden Circle attractions in the south, travelers can now choose to “land into” a different narrative, one centered on the landscapes of Eyjafjörður, the volcanic drama around Lake Mývatn, and the rugged coastline of the Arctic Coast Way.
Tourism boards for North Iceland have moved quickly to capitalize on this opportunity, packaging Akureyri as the entry point to the Diamond Circle route, ski areas above the town and in nearby valleys, and experiences such as whale watching from Húsavík or snowshoeing in the surrounding mountains. The airport’s enhanced schedule gives these campaigns credibility; when visitors see direct flights from their home city, committing to a North‑focused itinerary becomes a much easier choice.
For the communities of North Iceland, this shift promises more than just visitor numbers. It supports a more diversified local economy in which tourism complements existing industries such as fisheries and services, and helps sustain year‑round employment. At the same time, it raises new questions about how to manage visitor flows in small towns and sensitive natural areas, issues that local authorities are already discussing with national agencies.
Outlook: From Regional Hub to Northern Gateway
Looking ahead, Akureyri Airport appears set to consolidate its role as Iceland’s northern gateway for international travelers. Airlines are watching the performance of recently launched routes closely, with additional capacity likely if load factors remain strong across multiple seasons. More international carriers may test the market with charters or short seasonal programs, particularly from major European cities with established interest in Iceland.
Isavia’s ongoing work on domestic airport infrastructure, including improvements at other regional fields, suggests that Akureyri will remain a focal point in a broader effort to strengthen the resilience and flexibility of Iceland’s aviation network. While Keflavík will continue to handle the lion’s share of long‑haul arrivals, a more robust Akureyri can provide both a release valve and a complementary hub that anchors sustainable tourism growth in the north.
For international travelers, the implications are straightforward. In the coming years, it will become increasingly normal to book a holiday in Iceland that starts and ends in Akureyri rather than Reykjavík, with flights that place them just minutes from fjord‑side hotels, ski slopes and Arctic waters. For North Iceland’s tourism operators, that evolving reality could mark the beginning of a new chapter, in which their region stands not as an optional detour from the south, but as a primary destination connected directly to the world.