Travel to Iceland rises 20% as summer season begins

By Elías Thorsson July 7, 2025
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The logo of Icelandair airlines is seen at the tail fin of a Boeing 757-256 aircraft at Zurich airport (Arnd Wiegmann / Reuters File Photo)

The number of air passengers arriving in Iceland increased by 20% in June compared to the same month last year, signaling a strong start to the summer travel season and growing international interest in the country as a destination.

According to new figures from Icelandair, the airline carried 552,000 passengers in June—a 7% increase year-on-year. Of these, 35% were traveling to Iceland, 17% were departing, 44% were connecting through Reykjavík, and 4% flew domestically.

The number of passengers flying out of Iceland also rose by 19%, reinforcing a broader recovery in travel to and from the country.

“It’s encouraging to see the market to Iceland continue to strengthen,” said Icelandair CEO Bogi Nils Bogason. “The 20% increase in inbound traffic in June shows that our strategic emphasis is having a clear impact.”

Seat utilization improved to 85.1%, up from 83.4% a year earlier, while on-time performance reached 86.8%. The airline also reported a 52% increase in charter flight block hours and a 16% rise in cargo volumes. Carbon emissions per ton-kilometer were reduced by 5%.

With more than 2.2 million passengers flown in the first half of 2025, Iceland’s tourism sector continues to strengthen as the peak travel season progresses.