The spirit of Iceland

Icelandair proudly brings the spirit of Iceland to the world. Your introduction to Iceland begins the moment you step aboard one of our flights. 

We’d like you to feel as if you’ve learned a little bit about our country during your flight, whether you’re flying with us to or from Iceland, or traveling between Europe and North America. On a transatlantic trip you may have just a brief connection at Keflavík airport, or maybe you'll choose a Stopover to explore Iceland's wonders for a few days (an excellent decision!).

We've been connecting our island with the world for over 80 years. We’re proud of our Icelandic heritage and culture and we want to share that enthusiasm with you. On board our aircraft you can find several little glimpses of Iceland, but if you want to catch them all, here’s our cheat sheet.

Music

The music as you board was composed and performed by Icelandic artists. Like it? It’s from our Icelandair Spotify playlists. You can check out the playlists in our in-flight entertainment system.

We love how Iceland sounds, and are proud founding sponsor of the acclaimed Iceland Airwaves music festival, held every November in Reykjavík. You can watch a fun documentary about it in our in-flight entertainment system. We have received an award from Samtónn, the Icelandic Music Association, in recognition of our ongoing support for Icelandic music and musicians.

Natural wonders 

We’re so proud of our volcanoes, glaciers and other natural wonders, that we’ve named our aircraft after them. After all, Iceland is famous for its spectacular landscapes. Each aircraft bears the moniker of an Icelandic attraction, including Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier; and Þingvellir (that's Thingvellir, in letters you recognize), the rift valley where our parliament was founded in 930 AD. 

If you travel in Saga Premium on our North America routes, you can see another tribute we pay to the Icelandic nature. Our eco-friendly, award-winning amenity kit collection celebrates local wildlife (puffins, horses, ravens and arctic foxes) and are designed to enhance the onboard experience.

Language

We're proud of our ancient language. You’ll see some samples of Icelandic throughout the cabin (and hear its uniqueness in announcements from our crew). Some headrests show Icelandic translations of some common phrases in English, while pillow covers show a popular traditional lullaby both in Icelandic and in translation. The paper cups list the different words used in Icelandic for cups, and the napkins tell you about Iceland’s first settlers. 

In-flight entertainment

Our in-flight entertainment system features Icelandic films, documentaries and TV programs, which will introduce you to some of the country’s highlights. 

Menu

When food and drinks are served on board, our menu selection features Icelandic ingredients and snacks like skyr, Icelandic chocolate, and locally produced soda and craft beer.

Special days

If you're traveling with us on one of Iceland's unique celebratory days, we aim to share some of our traditions with you. That might mean pastry buns on Bolludagur (Bun Day), treats to celebrate Pride, or stories of our mischievous Yule Lads in the lead-up to Christmas.

Water

At the risk of being immodest, we think our water is the best tasting water in the world. Try it for yourself on the flight. We serve refreshing Iceland Spring water throughout the trip. 

Mood lighting 

On some aircraft you’ll find mood lighting, like on board Vatnajökull: the blue LED lighting in the cabin creates the illusion of being inside an ice cave, while on Hekla Aurora (with its livery painted in the colors of the aurora) it feels as if you’re watching the northern lights dancing in the Icelandic winter sky. If you're lucky, you might even see the real thing out the aircraft window – read more about planning for a northern lights trip to Iceland. 

Whatever your reason for travel and however long you're spending in our company, we hope you enjoy your flight with Icelandair.