Blog from North Iceland

A new fissure eruption started on Reykjanes Peninsula on August 22, at 9:26 PM by Sundhnúksgígar crater, marking the sixth eruption in the area since December 2023. The eruption's effects are localized to the eruption site with road closures and do not threaten people.

The British airline easyJet announced today that it will offer flights from both London and Manchester to Akureyri next winter. The announcement follows a successful winter for easyJet, which offered flights from London to Akureyri for the first time. Flights will operate on Saturdays and Tuesdays from Manchester and London.

Travellers and agencies will have plenty of new options when looking for accommodation in Akureyri and nearby in the near future. This spring, announcements have been made about two new hotels in Akureyri, with the third one close to being completed this year at Grenivík – just a half an hour's drive away from Akureyri. Increased availability of direct flights to North Iceland year-round, both scheduled and chartered, has increased the demand for hotel rooms as well as the increased number of visitors to Iceland in general.

Japan's Ryoyu Kobayashi flew 291 meters in Iceland on Wednesday 24th April 2024 for an unofficial world record touted by organizer Red Bull as "the longest ski jump in history."

A new fissure eruption started on the Reykjanes Peninsula by Hagafell and Stóra-Skógfell at 8:23 PM on March 16. This marks the fourth eruption in the area since December of 2023.

The first part of the expansion of Akureyri International Airport has now been completed. A new terminal for international flights was opened late in February, with passengers travelling with Voigt Travel and Transavia the first to arrive. The new building will have significant impact on the experience for travellers, with more room, improved baggage claim, bigger duty-free shop and more. 

"Direct international flights to Akureyri naturally increase access to our area. It's quicker to come to us, so it matters. Especially over the winter period, it is not always feasible by land route, but possible by air. So, it has a significant impact," says Freyja Rut Emilsdóttir, CEO of 1238: Battle of Iceland.

A new fissure eruption started on the Reykjanes Peninsula by Mt. Stóra-Skógfell on Thursday, February 8th. Akureyri International Airport is open and in service. All flights are on schedule.

The Swiss travel agency Kontiki arrived in North Iceland with its first aeroplane flying directly from Zurich to Akureyri last Sunday. The inaugural flight went very well, with majestic views and clear skies as the Edelweiss-operated plane arrived at a snow-covered Akureyri.

"Direct international flights to Akureyri are a turning point for tourism in North Iceland, I believe, and hopefully we are just seeing the beginning of it," says Fjóla Viktorsdóttir, co-owner of Syðra-Skörðugil, a horse rental and a guesthouse.

A volcanic eruption started on Sunday, January 14, near Grindavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula. Travel and tourism in Iceland is not affected.