Tomorrow 23.December regional airline Eagle Air (Icelandic Flugfélagið Ernir) will perform the first after break scheduled flight from Reykjavik (ICAO: BIRK) to Vestmannaeyjar (ICAO: BIVM), reported Eyjafrettir.
The Ministry of Transport and Local Government has agreed with Eagle Air on a minimum of two trips a week flight schedule until 1 June 2022. The flights will be performed on Mondays and Fridays.
Scheduled flights on market terms between Reykjavík and the Vestmannaeyjar by Icelandair were cancelled this autumn due to lower demand due to the COVID-19 epidemic. One year before that the founder and owner of Eagle Air Hörður Guðmundsson told Flugblogg, flights on market terms to Vestmannaeyjar were stopped due to the decreasing amount of passengers between two airports and competition with subsidised ferry line. “The main reason is the lack of passengers. We are in unfair competition with the subsided ferry. It costs almost nothing to use this boat, but in the private sector of aviation, we need to charge full fare. When the number of passengers starts to decline, the only way we can do is stop to fly there,” said Hörður Guðmundsson.
In 2021 a price survey was conducted at three airlines, then Eagle Air had offered the lowest bid. Residents of the Vestmannaeyjar will be able to take advantage of the national system Loftbrú, which offers a 40% discount on airfares.
It will be possible to extend the contract with Eagle Air for two weeks at a time if necessary. The agreement may also be cancelled without notice if scheduled flights resume on market terms within its period of validity. All of Eagle Air’s income from ticket sales and freight transport on the route will reduce payments due to the agreement.
