UP IN ICELAND, where winds and temperatures are harsh and change rapidly, running an airline and keeping it profitable is no easy task let alone during a pandemic. But the country's flag carrier, Icelandair, has found a clever way of doing business, capturing a small stake of the world's most crowded and competitive markets while keeping its numbers in the black.
Icelandair offers customers an astute stopover program, inviting passengers to travel between North America and Europe by making a tourist stop in Iceland. This strategy has benefited the airline with high load factors and boosted tourism in one of the world's most spectacular destinations. In Reykjavík, Bogi Nils Bogason, president and CEO of the Icelandair Group, sat down with Business Traveler to discuss Icelandair's path through the pandemic and what seems to be an optimistic future.
After a successful career as an auditor and accountant at KPMG, Bogason reached the top position at Icelandair in 2018. "It wasn't easy," he says. "As soon as I was named CEO, the global grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX affected our network heavily. And when we came out of that crisis, the pandemic arrived."
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Business Traveler US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the April 2023 edition of Business Traveler US.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
Train of Thought
As Amsterdam’s airport curtails flights because of environmental impact, KLM suggests that its passengers take to the rails
Entry Level
Why travelers are waiting weeks or even months to receive a new passport or renewal
Big Wheels
American Airlines offers a TSA-approved ground service between Philadelphia and surrounding airports
Le Bon Goût
Air France partners with Michelin-starred chefs for its new menus
First Glance
United unveils new high-end seats
Ring of Fire
In October and April, solar eclipses will dazzle the United States
Just Say Know
To improve mental health, learn new skills on the road—and have fun doing it
Rebalancing Act
How Finnair CEO Topi Manner led the airline through two external crises to bring it back on track
New Look
With industry innovations and a star-studded roster of clients, designer Peter Dundas is changing the shape of fashion
Food for Thought
The pioneering Spanish restaurant EI Bulli is transformed into a museum and culinary laboratory