We fly

Every year many families, businesses, organizations, artists, and politicians take part in the Pride festivities and express their support and recognition of the LGBTQ+ community. From an international perspective, Iceland has a prominent role in advocating for LGBTQ+ rights, and that is widely felt across the country.

At Icelandair, we're proud to be part of a community that values and supports equality. We're happy to partner with Reykjavík Pride to transport special guests to the event. We're also pleased to partner with Samtökin '78, the National Queer Association of Iceland, whose work centres around the fight for equal rights for queer people in Iceland.

Rainbows are everywhere here in Iceland: whether it’s a sculpture right outside Keflavík airport, a street permanently painted in rainbow colors in a remote fjord town or in the capital, or even misty rainbows seen in the Icelandic landscapes, it all sends a message of equality.

These are some of the milestones reached in Iceland on the path to equality:

1996: Same-sex couples are legally allowed to register as living together.

2006: Icelandic law gives equal access to adoption and IVF; adopting a partner’s child has been legal since 2000. 

2010: Same-sex marriages are legalized. It's worth noting that the prime minister at the time, Jóhanna Sigurðardóttir, and her wife Jónína Leósdóttir were among the first same-sex couples to be married in Iceland.

2019: A law simplifies the process for trans people to obtain the needed medical resources plus adds a third gender option – X – to the National Registry.

If you're looking for more information, check out:

Samtökin ‘78 – the National Queer Association of Iceland

Gay Iceland – LGBTQ+ guide to Iceland

GayIce – LGBTQ+ news from Iceland

Every August, a week is dedicated to Reykjavík Pride and the event program is nothing short of fabulous, ranging from educational lectures and discussions to dedicated pool parties, pub crawls, and karaoke. There might be drag bingo, bake-offs, movie nights, a queer-themed history or literary walk, a harbor cruise, comedy shows, intimate concerts, and so much more.

The official Pride event days reach their climax with the main Pride Parade at 2pm on the final Saturday, leaving from Hallgrímskirkja in downtown Reykjavík. Once the Parade is done, festivities move to an outdoor concert in nearby Hljómskálagarður park.

With nearly one-third of the Icelandic population attending or participating in Pride events, it's become one of the most popular events in Iceland. And Pride itself may only last a week, but as one of the world's most LGBTQ+-friendly countries, Iceland celebrates diversity and inclusion the whole year round.

There was a big, joyful crowd and lots of sunshine for Reykjavík’s annual Pride Parade in August 2023.

We partnered with gay icon Páll Óskar to create a parade float – check out the gorgeous results, and get a taste of summer on the streets of our welcoming city.

The Icelandair staff is a large and diverse group of people – and we wouldn’t want it any other way!

Every year, we aim to fly a Pride Flight during Reykjavík's Pride week. The cabin crew and pilots on our Pride Flights are all proud members or allies of the LGBTQ+ community. The service on board is themed accordingly – we serve treats, rainbows, and a fun and festive mood.

Check out our crew as they prepare for our Pride Flight on August 9, 2023.

In 2023, on August 9 we marked our continuous support of equality by dedicating flight FI216 between Keflavík and Copenhagen, to the visibility of the LGBTQ+ community.

In 2022, on August 4 we flew Pride Flight FI318 between Keflavík and Oslo, and FI319 between Oslo and Keflavík.

In 2020 there was no Pride Flight due to COVID-19.

In 2019, we celebrated Reykjavík Pride turning 20 with a Pride Flight between Keflavík and Philadelphia.

2023 and 2022 Pride Flight images and video by Egill Árni Jóhannesson

To honor the rainbow celebrations, we want to do our part to help amplify queer voices.

We met with a diverse group of people and spoke with them about the history of Pride in Iceland, the state of queer rights today, and the interplay between the spirit of Iceland and the spirit of Pride.

The result is 'The colorful spirit of Iceland'.

Take a look!