Tourism to Iceland Increases As Delta Begins New Nonstop Flight From Boston



Delta reveals their first new international route since the COVID-19 pandemic

Three weeks after Delta Air Lines resumed its daily service from New York-JFK to Iceland, the airline has launched a second and new daily nonstop flight from Boston to Reykjavik. Once the third daily flight from Minneapolis begins next week, 2021 will be the biggest year for Delta in Iceland.

Pre-pandemic, the United States was the largest source market for tourism into Iceland with more than 460,000 visitors in 2019, according to data from the Icelandic Tourist Board. Tourism data also indicates that American visitors are the top spenders of foreign visitors spending an average of $2,100 each during a typical week’s stay. Tourism remains one of the country’s main industries making up 8% of the country’s GDP.

Delta Airlines has launched a new daily nonstop flight from Boston to Reykjavik

“As the first European country to reopen to U.S. tourists, we’ve seen increased demand for travel to Iceland this summer versus 2019,” said Amy Martin, Delta’s Managing Director – International Network Planning. “After a year of limited international travel, Americans are actively seeking new adventures this summer and the addition of our new Boston service will allow more than 350 more customers each day to enjoy the diverse landscapes of this island compared to 2019.”

The addition of Boston to Delta’s Iceland footprint offers convenient connections from 118 U.S. cities via the three hubs, making it easier for customers to reconnect with family, friends and new experiences. Delta will operate 85 daily flights from Boston this summer to 37 destinations.

Customers traveling to Iceland will be required to provide proof of full vaccination or recovery of COVID-19. Travelers returning to the U.S. will still require a negative COVID-19 test and can find a nearby location with Delta’s dedicated Travel Planning Center for international travel.

Johannes Thor Skulason, managing director for the Icelandic Travel Industry Association said: “Opening up for fully-vaccinated visitors from the US has jumpstarted tourism in Iceland. The enthusiasm American travelers have for coming here is a vital economic contributor. Tourism in Iceland has a substantial role in the growth and development of Iceland’s international brand and we look forward to getting going again.”

Delta will fly Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft on these routes, which include both premium and economy cabins offering more choice to customers. All services are operated in conjunction with partners Air France, KLM and Virgin Atlantic.

Delta prioritizes the health and safety of customers and employees above all, which is why the airline’s layers of protection include regularly sanitizing high-touch surfaces and replacing onboard industrial-grade HEPA filters twice as often as recommended.

In addition to safer travel as part of the Delta CareStandard, all customers flying between the U.S. and Iceland will enjoy hundreds of new in-flight entertainment options on personal seat-back screens. Delta’s award-winning customer experience also includes touchless technology via the Fly Delta app and onboard and plans to deliver new high-speed Wi-Fi on board this year.

Customers also have more flexibility than ever to plan and re-book their trips with an industry-leading travel credit extension for all tickets expiring in 2021 and all tickets purchased in 2021 through Dec. 31, 2022.