Icelandair Announces New Detroit Route

DALLAS - Icelandair (FI) has revealed it will commence a new service from Keflavík International Airport. (KEF) to Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport (DTW) from May 18, 2023.

The summer seasonal service will be flown four weekly until the end of October 2023. FI will utilise one of its Boeing 737 MAX jets on the route. Passengers will then be able to connect to over 25 destinations from FI's KEF hub or spend up to seven nights in Iceland before continuing on to their final destination at no extra airfare cost.

FI is currently evaluating several aircraft types to replace its ageing Boeing 757 fleet. Photo: Liam Funnell/Airways.

"A Refreshing New Choice"

Bogi Nils Bogason, FI CEO, said, "Icelandair is pleased to offer Detroit a refreshing new choice when travelling to Iceland and beyond. Icelandair's DTW service will allow passengers to travel to and from Europe in new, fuel-efficient planes with modern amenities, including gate-to-gate Wi-Fi and inflight entertainment available for all passengers.

"These new flights will not only help meet the demands of a growing Detroit but also offer more options for Midwestern business and leisure travellers connecting from the Midwest region."

Boeing 737-8 (TF-ICY) looking resplendent in FI's new colorscheme. Photo: Alberto Cucini/Airways.

Transatlantic Boost

Fi's transatlantic operations have bounced back after the easing of covid restrictions, making up 43% of passengers during the third quarter (Q3). In October, the airline announced solid Q3 financial results and attributed this to its transatlantic recovery.

Icelandair launched a new route to Raleigh Durham (RDU) this summer. Adding DTW takes the total number of US destinations served by FI to 15.

KEF to DTW was previously flown by FI's low-cost rival Wow Air (WW). It launched the service in 2018 and remained on its route map until the carriers collapse in March 2019.

"Thanks to Icelandair, the beauty of Iceland is now a short flight away from Detroit," said Chad Newton, CEO of the Wayne County Airport Authority. "At Detroit Metropolitan Airport, we know our customers have a choice when they fly. We believe nonstop flights to Iceland and the opportunity to connect to exciting cities throughout Europe are two more reasons travellers will choose DTW."

Featured Image: FI plans to grow its 737 MAX fleet to 20 by the end of 2023. Photo: Daniel Gorun/Airways.