Icelandair’s Plan to Retire Dash 8-200s and Its Impact on Flights to Ísafjörður

Last summer, AirlineGeeks reported that Icelandair had announced plans to retire its fleet of Dash 8-200 aircraft by the summer of 2026. However, the airline has since changed its plan and will continue operating one of its most important routes.

With new, longer runways opening in airports across Greenland, the need for the smaller Dash 8-200s had diminished. The airline was able to replace these planes with its slightly larger Dash 8-400s, also known as the Q400, on flights to its four destinations in Greenland. However, there was still one destination in Icelandair’s network that could only accommodate the smaller -200: Ísafjörður.

Initially, the retirement of the Dash 8-200 would have resulted in the end of flights to Ísafjörður. The airline did not see it as economically sustainable to keep a small fleet type solely for one route. However, due to a recent change in plans, Icelandair has been selected for an air service agreement to serve Ísafjörður for the next four years.

Icelandair’s communication manager, Guðni Sigurðsson, spoke about the change in plans.

Service Levels for Ísafjörður

Under the new four-year agreement, service to Ísafjörður will continue year-round but with a lower frequency than before. In September-October and March-April, there will be nine weekly flights, seven weekly flights during the winter season (November-February), and ten weekly flights during the peak summer months (May-August). This represents a decrease from the previous double-daily summer schedule and 11x weekly winter schedule. However, the airline will still maintain a consistent year-round service with increased flights during the peak summer season. This adjustment aligns capacity more closely with expected demand while still providing key travel options for residents and visitors.

Why Did Icelandair Bid for the Contract?

Initially, Icelandair had planned to end flights to Ísafjörður with the retirement of the Dash 8-200s at the end of the 2026 summer season. However, the airline still bid for the contract. When asked about this, Sigurðsson explained that the business case for continuing to operate the Dash 8-200s had mostly disappeared. These aircraft were mainly used for flights to Greenland and Ísafjörður. However, with the new infrastructure in Greenland, larger and more efficient aircraft were able to take over much of the flying. At the time, it did not make economic sense to keep the Dash 8-200s solely for the Ísafjörður route.

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