Officials in Langanesbyggð say uncertainty over a new state-supported air-service contract is threatening an important transport link for Þórshöfn and Vopnafjörður.
According to figures cited by RÚV from the Icelandic Road Administration, public support for the route amounted to roughly ISK 107,000 per passenger in 2024. Bids have been submitted, but an agreement has not yet been reached.
State Support Reached About ISK 107,000 per Passenger on the Northeast Iceland Air Route
- No agreement has yet been reached on a new contract for scheduled flights serving Þórshöfn and Vopnafjörður.
- State support for the route worked out to about ISK 107,000 per passenger in 2024.
- Langanesbyggð says dependable air links are an essential public service for remote communities.
Remote Communities Say Air Links are Essential
The dispute highlights the cost of maintaining scheduled transport links to sparsely populated parts of Iceland. Langanesbyggð has expressed disappointment with communication around the tender process and concern about the effect of uncertainty on residents.
Norlandair’s current timetable lists five weekly rotations linking Akureyri, Vopnafjörður and Þórshöfn. The route gives the communities an alternative to long road journeys, particularly during winter.
State-supported aviation is used elsewhere to preserve regional connectivity. Iceland Review reported last year that Icelandair resumed a subsidised Reykjavík–Hornafjörður service, while domestic aviation has long been debated as part of Iceland’s public-transport system. Current travellers are also facing temporary capacity changes on other domestic routes.
Source: RÚV
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