Icelandair has launched its first scheduled service between Birmingham and Reykjavik, offering passengers a unique experience on-board the new ‘Aurora plane’.
The ‘Aurora plane’ is a special themed Icelandair Boeing 757 displaying the Northern Lights both on external livery and in internal cabin fixtures and lighting.
The Birmingham service operates twice weekly, on Thursdays and Mondays, commencing yesterday. The aircraft provides three-cabin service with leather seats, seating 183 passengers, and featuring a personal in-flight entertainment system.
Birkir Holm Guonason, Icelandair CEO, said: ‘Icelandair looks forward to be offering a refreshing and valuable travel experience to and from the West Midlands. Icelandair has been flying for 70 years to the UK and we hope people from the Midlands will like the service we have to offer. Birmingham and its neighbouring cities are predicted to grow substantially and we are pleased to be taking part in and supporting that growth as of today.
‘We were delighted to be able to mark the beginning of our new service from Birmingham airport by giving passengers the chance to fly on our new Aurora plane and were honoured that dignitaries such as the Lord Mayor of Birmingham, the Iceland Ambassador to the UK and the CEO of Birmingham Airport were able to join us on this special occasion.’
Birmingham is Icelandair’s fifth gateway in the UK and its 39th overall. The new service also offers a flight option to North America.
Guonason added: ‘By using Iceland’s geographical position midway between Europe and North America we can offer some of the fastest elapsed times from Birmingham to popular destinations such as Washington D.C. and Seattle.’
Paul Kehoe, the CEO of Birmingham Airport, added: ‘Icelandair’s new service from Birmingham is not only fantastic news for Midlanders wanting to spend leisure time in Reykjavik to see the northern lights or relax in hot springs, but also to travel onwards to the USA and Canada using Icelandair’s strong network of connecting flights.’
