Iceland’s flag carrier Icelandair has decided to suspend its scheduled flights on the Reykjavik – Istanbul route as of February 1, 2026. The airline, which launched the service in September 2025, is terminating its operations that were initially started with 4 weekly frequencies and later reduced to 2 weekly frequencies.
The airline announced that it is offering rebooking options via connecting flights or full ticket refunds for passengers affected by this decision.
Why Were the Flights Suspended?
The Icelandic Airline Pilots Association (FÍA) stated that Icelandair management’s decision to halt Istanbul flights stems entirely from administrative errors and that the responsibility lies with the airline’s administration.
Operational sustainability for the Istanbul route required an exemption from the current collective bargaining agreement; however, the union announced that it has withdrawn this exemption effective February 1, 2026. The details provided in the statement are as follows:
- When the company realized its error in May, it requested an exemption from the union that contradicted the collective bargaining agreement. FÍA granted this exemption to allow the flights to commence.
- Last autumn, Icelandair unilaterally rejected a clause of the collective bargaining agreement. The matter was taken to court, and the Court ruled the clause invalid, stating that Icelandair’s representative at the time had exceeded their authority.
- As a result of this ruling, all exceptional permissions, including the special exemption granted for the Istanbul flights, have officially become null and void.
Will Flights Resume?
When these flights were initially launched, they were not intended to be seasonal operations but were planned to be year-round. However, the flights will conclude at the end of January. It is stated that the airline plans to resume the service on September 17, 2026. The future status of these flights remains to be seen.
