Flights to Iceland return to Pittsburgh International Airport

Pittsburghers will be able to fly direct to Iceland again next year, thanks to a new direct route to the small Nordic country.

Icelandair announced Thursday the airline is launching nonstop service to Reykjavík starting in May. The flights will depart Pittsburgh International Airport on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Sundays.

From Keflavík International Airport in Reykjavík, passengers can connect to Icelandair’s extensive European destination network. The network includes flights to Paris, Rome, Berlin, Prague, Madrid and Dublin.

“We’re just delighted to have a major carrier that’s been very successful in Europe for many, many years join us now in Pittsburgh,” said Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald.

The Icelandair flights mark the return of direct flights between Pittsburgh and Iceland. Pittsburgh had flights for a brief time on WOW Airlines, which went defunct in 2019.

Icelandair is a flagship carrier for the small country, and traces its roots back to 1937.

Iceland joins other new destinations like San Diego that will arrive midway through 2024. The new destinations should come less than a year before the Pittsburgh International Airport completes a $1.5 billion remodel.

Bogi Nils Bogason, Icelandair CEO, said he is excited to see the airline connect with the Steel City.

“Pittsburgh is filled with a rich history and a vibrant culture, and home to many international businesses,” said Bogason in a statement. “With all that Pittsburgh and Allegheny County have to offer, we know Icelandair is the perfect fit to help bring Pittsburghers to the world, and the world to the Steel City, and we look forward to welcoming them aboard.”

Pittsburgh will become the 13th American destination for Icelandair.

In addition to leisure travel, Bogason said the flights should also boost business between the Pittsburgh region and Iceland. Pittsburgh-based aluminum company Alcoa has a facility in Iceland and employs 400 people in the eastern part of the island nation.

Icelandair is expected to carry a variety of cargo and goods from Iceland to Southwestern Pennsylvania, including fish, and officials expect the route to have a $9 million economic impact annually on the region, according to the Allegheny County Airport Authority.