Residents of Iceland who live far from Reykjavík can now book subsidised flights to the capital three times a year. Transport Minister Sigurður Ingi Jóhannssón launched the initiative at a press conference in Egilsstaðir, East Iceland this afternoon. The project, called Loftbrú (Eng: Air Bridge), is intended to make services in the capital area more accessible to residents of the countryside.
Loftbrú is based on a similar initiative in Scotland ensuring affordable transportation to and from that country’s islands and highlands. Loftbrú applies to all registered residents of the Westfjords, Northeast Iceland, East Iceland, Hornafjörður (Southeast Iceland), the Westman Islands, and parts of Northwest Iceland. The subsidy covers 40% of the cost of scheduled flights to and from Reykjavík, regardless of whether they are full price or discounted. Each individual is eligible for up to three trips (six flights) per year through the initiative – though just one for the remainder of 2020.
Air Iceland Connect’s booking engine gives a good sense of the cost of domestic flights in Iceland. A return trip between Egilsstaðir and Reykjavík September 11-18, 2020 with one checked bag adds up to ISK 44,325 ($315/€267) for a single traveller. With the Loftbrú subsidy, the cost lowers to ISK 26,595 ($189/€160).
The subsidies are available to residents through island.is, the government’s official electronic services portal. Loftbrú is working on offering the same subsidy to students from the countryside temporarily residing in the capital area. That initiative is expected to be launched by the end of the year.
Loftbrú is expected to cost Iceland’s government ISK 600 million ($4.3m/€3.6m) per year, and ISK 200 million ($1.4m/€1.2m) in 2020. Funding to the project was allocated in the government’s transportation plan that was approved in June 2020.
