Iceland’s Niceair unqualified for UK rights - regulator

Iceland's Niceair contracts Hi Fly Malta for charter ops

Niceair (Akureyri) has enlisted Hi Fly Malta (HFM, Malta Int'l) to operate an A319-100 on its behalf when flights commence later this summer.

The start-up virtual carrier said it would run the following routes out of Akureyri:

• Copenhagen Kastrup (2x weekly starting on June 2),
• London Stansted (2x weekly starting on June 3), and
• Tenerife Sur (weekly starting on June 8).

Niceair's initial schedule is valid through September 30, 2022, although more routes may be added. It hopes to capitalise on both the inbound and outbound market from northern Iceland, bypassing time-consuming connections via Reykjavik Keflavik.

Hi Fly Malta operates two A319-100s. One is currently stored at Rome Fiumicino and the other is at Beja, the ch-aviation fleets advanced module shows.

Iceland's Niceair outlines initial destinations

Niceair (Akureyri) has named London, Copenhagen Kastrup, and Tenerife as its first destinations when it it starts flights from June 2 this year. It did not specify any frequencies let alone clarify which airports in the British capital or the Canary Islands it would serve.

The virtual carrier has reportedly secured a 150-seater A319-100 to ply the routes, which will focus on Akureyri in northern Iceland. It has yet to disclose the identity of its production carrier.

Akureyri currently sees scheduled services to Reykjavik Domestic with Air Iceland Connect (NY, Reykjavik Domestic) as well as to Grimsey, Neerlerit Inaat (Greenland), and Vopnafjördur via Norlandair (FNA, Akureyri).

Iceland's Niceair to launch in 2Q22 with a chartered A319

Niceair (Akureyri) plans to begin scheduled operations as a virtual carrier on June 2, 2022, amid hopes that tourism demand will return to northern Iceland.

Managing Director Thorvaldur Lúðvík Sigurjónsson told the Fréttablaðið daily that the start-up will charter a single A319-100 from an undisclosed European carrier for an initial 5-6 flights per week from Akureyri to the UK, Denmark, and Spain.

Following a feasibility study, Niceair will target foreign tourists coming to northern Iceland, who have traditionally travelled onboard cruise ships. Sigurjónsson pointed out that the current downturn in the cruise market means that air transport could reclaim some of the market. At the same time, Niceair also sees a lot of demand for outbound travel. Currently, residents of northern Iceland have to travel to Reykjavik Keflavik for an international flight, which can add an extra day or two to their holidays. Direct flights from Akureyri would thus be very attractive. Sigurjónsson estimates that the local market numbers around 50,000 passengers, comparable to the Faroe Islands, served by Atlantic...

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