Icelandair To Launch Nonstop Raleigh-Durham to Reykjavik in 2022

Updated: December 21, 2021, 12:01am CST

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About the Route
Final Thoughts

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Rapidly growing Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina will soon have a nonstop connection to Iceland once the city is officially added to Icelandair’s route network next year.

Flights are scheduled to start on May 12, 2022, and will operate 4 times per week. The news comes amid fresh competition on routes to Iceland, as Icelandair’s new low-cost rival PLAY recently announced 2 new routes to the East Coast.

“We are excited to add to our extensive route networking, offering non-stop flights to North Carolina with convenient connections from Europe,” said Bogr Nils Bogason, CEO and President of Icelandair.

Let’s find out what this route addition means for you.

About the Route

Icelandair’s Reykjavik (KEF) to Raleigh-Durham (RDU) route will commence with 4 weekly flights on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and will be operated by 1 of Icelandair’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.

Flights will operate according to the following schedule:

Depart Reykjavik 4:45 p.m. — Arrive Raleigh-Durham 7:30 p.m.
Depart Raleigh-Durham 8:30 p.m. — Arrive Reykjavik 6:30 a.m. (+1)

Icelandair’s Boeing 737 MAX aircraft are configured with a total of 160 seats. In economy, there are 144 “regular” seats in a 3-3 configuration.

If you prefer a little more comfort, Icelandair offers 4 rows of Saga Premium seating in a 2-2 configuration. Saga is Icelandair’s version of business class and features recliner seats similar to what you’ll find in first class on narrow-body aircraft within the U.S.

Configuration of Icelandair's Boeing 737 MAX — Image Credit: Icelandair

Raleigh-Durham joins Boston (BOS), Chicago (ORD), Denver (DEN), Minneapolis-St. Paul (MSP), New York (JFK), Newark (EWR), Orlando (MCO), Seattle (SEA), and Washington, D.C. (IAD) as Icelandair’s 10th U.S. destination.

Icelandair schedules its early arrivals from North America to land shortly before its morning wave of departures to 24 destinations across Europe, providing passengers with seamless connections and short layovers. Many departures to mainland Europe, including Amsterdam (AMS), Berlin (BER), Copenhagen (CPH), Stockholm (ARN), and Zurich (ZRH), depart only around an hour after Icelandair’s Raleigh-Durham flight lands in Reykjavik.

Reykjavik (KEF) will be Raleigh-Durham’s third nonstop European destination, joining London-Heathrow (LHR) and Paris (CDG).

Hot Tip: Dreaming of a European vacation? Discover all the best ways to fly to Europe using your points and miles.

Final Thoughts

A whole new world of one-stop connections to Europe via Iceland is about to be a reality for those living in and around Raleigh-Durham.

This could be the first of many new routes to even more secondary U.S. airports as Icelandair continues to build out its presence in the country and the exciting newcomer PLAY begins its foray into the North American market.