Icelandair carried 402,000 passengers in April 2026, representing a 5% increase compared with the same month last year as demand for travel to and from Iceland continued strengthening.
The airline said passenger growth was particularly strong in its home market, where outbound traffic from Iceland increased significantly during the month.
Home Market Leads Passenger Growth
According to Icelandair, 28% of passengers travelled to Iceland during April, while 20% departed from Iceland.
Connecting passengers accounted for 46% of total traffic, while domestic services represented 6% of travellers.
The airline reported a 16% increase in passengers travelling from Iceland and a 7% rise in domestic passenger traffic.
Load Factor Improves As Capacity Expands
Icelandair’s load factor reached 82.2% in April, improving by 1.2 percentage points compared with the same period last year.
At the same time, overall capacity increased by 5% as the airline continued implementing its strategy to reduce seasonal fluctuations in operations.
On-time performance reached 80.8%, although the airline said severe weather conditions in Iceland early in the month affected punctuality.
Fuel Efficiency Improvements Continue
The airline reported a 3% reduction in CO2 emissions per operational ton kilometre, supported by the increasing use of more fuel-efficient aircraft.
Meanwhile, sold block hours within Icelandair’s leasing operations declined by 1%.
Freight traffic measured in freight ton kilometres also fell by 8% due to reduced belly cargo capacity on routes between Iceland and the United States.
Airline Responds To Rising Fuel Prices
Icelandair chief executive Bogi Nils Bogason said the airline has introduced cost-control measures and fare increases in response to higher fuel prices linked to ongoing tensions in the Middle East.
The company has already implemented a 2% capacity reduction during the second quarter and plans an additional 5% reduction for the autumn season.
Icelandair is also reviewing further measures, including the possibility of accelerating the retirement of its older Boeing 757 fleet.
Strong Focus On Customer Experience
During April, Icelandair received four awards for onboard service and product selection at the Onboard and TravelPlus awards.
The airline also said its latest social media campaign reached more than 22 million people worldwide, supporting efforts to promote Iceland as an international tourism destination.
