The travel agency Discover the World announced Wednesday that it would be offering direct flights between London Gatwick and Egilsstaðir, East Iceland, starting next year, RÚV reports. The flights will be offered twice a week all summer, from May 28 through September 26.
Cive Stacey, owner of Discover the World, which specializes in school and group travel, says the company wants to offer a new destination and focus on an area not overcrowded with tourists.
Prime Minister Sigmundur Davíð Gunnlaugsson welcomed the news and said it was necessary to open new gateways into the country.
Two 142-seat Boeing aircraft will be used with a stopover in Keflavík. Thus, the Keflavík-Egilsstaðir route becomes a sort of by-product, offered Wednesdays and Saturdays, the same days as the flights to London.
Stacey denies that Discover the World is planning to compete with Air Iceland in domestic flight: “No, we’re trying to use this route in a new way to try to bring tourists in the greater Reykjavík area to East Iceland. The time schedule is such that they would get ten hours here in the east−enough for a good day tour. We believe interest in that will increase in the future.”
The cost of a round trip between Egilsstaðir an Keflavík will be ISK 25,000 (USD 198, EUR 175).
