newstodate.aero
Nov 09, 2011 (newstodate): The Icelandic LCC Iceland Express is scaling down its flight program significantly in 2012.
The number of destinations will reportedly be cut from today's 24 to 16 from next year's summer schedule, and plans are to aim at some 500,000 passengers in 2012 rather than 750-800,000 as earlier expected.
Among the destinations to go are Boston, Chicago, Orlando and Winnipeg, while flights from Keflavik to New York will remain.
Sources also say that Iceland Express flights from Keflavik to Krakow, Luxembourg, Aalborg and Friedrichshafen will stop as well.
Efforts by newstodate to have Iceland Express verify this market information has not so far been successful.
Behind the decision to downsize operations is the crucial issue of aircraft capacity.
Iceland Express has relied on an aircraft fleet operated by its sister company Astraeus, but a sustained decline in quality and regularity has forced Iceland Express to re-think its strategy, and go for an own fleet of aircraft instead.
This requires Iceland Express to obtain an own AOC and licenses from Iceland's civil aviation authority - a lengthy process already started, but leaving the carrier in a temporary depressed situation.
The number of destinations will reportedly be cut from today's 24 to 16 from next year's summer schedule, and plans are to aim at some 500,000 passengers in 2012 rather than 750-800,000 as earlier expected.
Among the destinations to go are Boston, Chicago, Orlando and Winnipeg, while flights from Keflavik to New York will remain.
Sources also say that Iceland Express flights from Keflavik to Krakow, Luxembourg, Aalborg and Friedrichshafen will stop as well.
Efforts by newstodate to have Iceland Express verify this market information has not so far been successful.
Behind the decision to downsize operations is the crucial issue of aircraft capacity.
Iceland Express has relied on an aircraft fleet operated by its sister company Astraeus, but a sustained decline in quality and regularity has forced Iceland Express to re-think its strategy, and go for an own fleet of aircraft instead.
This requires Iceland Express to obtain an own AOC and licenses from Iceland's civil aviation authority - a lengthy process already started, but leaving the carrier in a temporary depressed situation.