Blog from North Iceland

The inaugural flight of easyJet from Manchester to Akureyri was completed today on a windy but bright morning in North Iceland. easyJet now offers flights from both London Gatwick and Manchester Airport twice a week, on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

This week it was announced that the next Vestnorden Travel Trade Show will be held in Akureyri in the autumn of 2025.

Held at Chill Factor(e), the premier indoor ski and snow sports centre in the North of England, the event 'Get the North Iceland Feeling' saw almost 50 attendees learn more about North Iceland, Iceland and importantly the opportunities available as a result of the new twice-weekly easyJet Manchester to Akureyri flights this winter.

A new fissure eruption started on Reykjanes Peninsula on August 22, at 9:26 PM by Sundhnúksgígar crater, marking the sixth eruption in the area since December 2023. The eruption's effects are localized to the eruption site with road closures and do not threaten people.

The British airline easyJet announced today that it will offer flights from both London and Manchester to Akureyri next winter. The announcement follows a successful winter for easyJet, which offered flights from London to Akureyri for the first time. Flights will operate on Saturdays and Tuesdays from Manchester and London.

Travellers and agencies will have plenty of new options when looking for accommodation in Akureyri and nearby in the near future. This spring, announcements have been made about two new hotels in Akureyri, with the third one close to being completed this year at Grenivík – just a half an hour's drive away from Akureyri. Increased availability of direct flights to North Iceland year-round, both scheduled and chartered, has increased the demand for hotel rooms as well as the increased number of visitors to Iceland in general.

Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi flew 291 meters in Iceland on Wednesday 24th April 2024 for an unofficial world record touted by organizer Red Bull as "the longest ski jump in history."

A new fissure eruption started on the Reykjanes Peninsula by Hagafell and Stóra-Skógfell at 8:23 PM on March 16. This marks the fourth eruption in the area since December of 2023.

The first part of the expansion of Akureyri International Airport has now been completed. A new terminal for international flights was opened late in February, with passengers travelling with Voigt Travel and Transavia the first to arrive. The new building will have significant impact on the experience for travellers, with more room, improved baggage claim, bigger duty-free shop and more. 

"Direct international flights to Akureyri naturally increase access to our area. It's quicker to come to us, so it matters. Especially over the winter period, it is not always feasible by land route, but possible by air. So, it has a significant impact," says Freyja Rut Emilsdóttir, CEO of 1238: Battle of Iceland.

A new fissure eruption started on the Reykjanes Peninsula by Mt. Stóra-Skógfell on Thursday, February 8th. Akureyri International Airport is open and in service. All flights are on schedule.