Icelandair Takes Pittsburghers Beyond Iceland Across Europe

When Icelandair’s service returns on April 17 with seasonal nonstop service, it won’t just re-connect Pittsburgh to Reykjavik.

Building off its popularity with Pittsburgh travelers when it launched flights to Iceland last May, Icelandair will resume flights between Pittsburgh International Airport and Iceland nearly a month sooner than in 2024.

Icelandair’s earlier resumption of its Reykjavik service adds opportunities for travelers looking to visit Iceland earlier in the spring and expands seamless European connections from Pittsburgh prior to the start of the summer travel period.

The additional Icelandair service is contributing to PIT’s international growth in 2025; British Airways is upgrading its London Heathrow service to a daily schedule starting March 30, a first for the route since its introduction in 2019.

Beyond Iceland

Icelandair’s hub at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) – about 30 miles from Reykjavik – is a major connecting point for travelers between North America and the rest of Europe due to its geographic location between the two continents. From North America, travelers can seamlessly connect to more than 25 destinations across continental Europe with Icelandair.

Icelandair has invested in expanding its network for travelers, which now consists of over 50 gateways across North America, Greenland and Europe.

Additionally, Icelandair boasts numerous partnerships with other international airlines like SAS, Finnair, Emirates and Turkish Airlines that further enhances connectivity. In February, Icelandair launched a partnership with Southwest Airlines, which will gradually expand across U.S. gateways this year.

Icelandair’s network is based on a 24-hour rotation, with connecting flights leaving Iceland in the mornings and afternoons. The Pittsburgh flight is timed to allow convenient one-stop choices to many European cities.

Pittsburghers already have taken full advantage of Icelandair’s network and the opportunities it provides. In 2024, many of Europe’s largest markets such as Dublin, London, Paris and Amsterdam were among the most popular connections for Pittsburghers traveling on Icelandair.

Pittsburgh Steelers fans will have convenient, one-stop access to Dublin with Icelandair via Reykjavik for the team’s upcoming game at Croke Park this upcoming season in the National Football League’s first ever regular season game held in the Emerald Isle.

 

Like Ireland, Germany is another European market with long-standing ties with the Pittsburgh region. Three of Germany’s largest cities – Berlin, Frankfurt, and Munich – were among Icelandair’s top 10 connecting markets from Pittsburgh in 2024.

German companies like Covestro, Sycor, Bosch, and Bayer, along with Munich-based Siemens, conduct significant operations throughout the Pittsburgh region, supporting thousands of local jobs. Last year, Germany joined Ireland to become the Steelers’ second European market under the NFL’s Global Markets Program.

Additionally, Scandinavia was a popular market for connecting travelers on the Pittsburgh-Reykjavik route last year with Oslo, Copenhagen and Stockholm among the top 10 European markets.

Tourism to Scandinavia is surging. Travel site Viator named Norway as the fastest-growing country in its portfolio with demand exceeding pre-pandemic levels by more than five times. In addition, Sweden’s tourism sector expects visitors to grow from 2023’s total of 8.3 million visitors to nearly 9.4 million visitors by 2028, while Denmark reported a record 25 million overnight stays from tourists in the first half of 2024.

Iceland Stopover

But fliers on the Pittsburgh-Reykjavik route don’t have to make just any ordinary connection to Europe.

Icelandair offers its novel “stopover” option for travelers, allowing them to add up to a week-long layover in Iceland at no extra airfare cost before continuing to their final destination.

When booking, travelers can select the “Stopover in Iceland” option and choose how many days they want to spend in Iceland (up to seven).

For assistance with booking a stopover, Icelandair provides ready-made itineraries on its website, with one-day, two-day, three-day and five-day options, along with recommendations for Iceland’s top attractions and activities, ranging from as geothermal bathing to witnessing the Northern Lights.

Additionally, Icelandair offers tour packages, such as exploring the Golden Circle or visiting the world-famous Blue Lagoon, which can be added to a stopover itinerary.

To book a stopover or learn more information, travelers can visit Icelandair’s website.