An increase of 8% compared with May 2023. During the month, 28% of passengers travelled to Iceland, 16% from Iceland, 50% were transit passengers and 6% travelled within Iceland. The load factor was 80% and punctuality was 85.1%, an increase of 8.5 percentage points compared with the previous year.

So far this year, Icelandair has carried 1.5 million passengers, 10% more than last year, but there has also been a noticeable change in the company’s passenger mix. Demand from Icelanders travelling abroad remains strong, but the number of passengers travelling to Iceland has fallen due to fierce competition from other destinations and the repeated negative impact of media coverage of seismic activity in Reykjanes.

Bogi Nils Bogason, President and CEO of Icelandair:

”We have adapted to the latest change in our passenger mix by leveraging the flexibility of our route network to focus more on the via market, where we offer 791 transatlantic connections. Tourism is one of the most important industries in Iceland and to stimulate demand for Iceland and increase the country's competitiveness as a tourist destination, we encourage the Icelandic authorities to prioritise the marketing of Iceland as a destination, similar to the efforts seen in competing countries.

With our biggest summer programme yet in full swing, we introduced three new seasonal destinations in May: the Faroe Islands, Pittsburgh and Halifax, and significantly increased frequencies to many popular destinations. Notably, we are the first international airline in Seattle to offer three daily flights from that market.

I am very pleased to report a significant improvement in punctuality, thanks to a strong focus and the outstanding effort from the Icelandair team. This has been a crucial factor in the increased positive feedback we are receiving in passenger surveys.”

According to the press release.