Transported Approximately 3.7 Million Passengers in the Previous Year
Icelandair saw a major jump in passenger numbers last year, with a whopping 150% increase compared to the previous year. From 1.5 million passengers in 2020, the airline carried 3.7 million passengers! Although the capacity has been growing steadily, it hasn't quite reached the pre-Covid-19 pandemic levels yet. By December 2022, it was at 91% of the 2019 capacity, compared to 53% in January 2022 and 77% in June.
In December alone, a total of 233,500 passengers flew with Icelandair, up from 168,500 the same month in 2021.
Weather Woes and Delays
Last month's turbulent weather and the closure of Reykjanesbraut made quite a mess of Icelandair's schedule and punctuality. International flights' on-time performance dipped to 62.4%, and the load factor fell to 73%. However, despite the weather disruptions, domestic flights managed an on-time performance of 81%. The load factor on domestic flights remained steady at 73%.
Domestic Flights, Charters, and Freight
Domestic flights saw a slight increase in passengers, with 20,000 commuters compared to 19,000 in December 2021. Despite the weather havoc, domestic flights maintained a decent on-time performance. The load factor remained consistent at 73%. There was also a 13% increase in sold block hours in charter flights. Freight levels were roughly the same as in December 2021.
Winter storms, holiday travel surges, post-pandemic recovery challenges, crew or resource shortages, and aircraft availability are common culprits for flight disruptions in northern regions. While Icelandair's specific challenges in December 2022 aren't heavily detailed, broader industry disruptions occurred that same year. However, it's important to note that Icelandair's operations post-2023 have not been significantly affected by volcanic activity. For a clearer picture of the December 2022 disruptions, airline-specific reports from that specific period would be beneficial.
- The disruptions in Icelandair's schedule and punctuality in December 2022 were largely due to last month's turbulent weather and the closure of Reykjanesbraut.
- Despite these weather-related challenges, Icelandair's domestic flights maintained a decent on-time performance, with an 81% on-time rate, but a steady load factor of 73%.
- While winter storms, holiday travel surges, and post-pandemic recovery challenges are common culprits for flight disruptions in northern regions, the specific challenges faced by Icelandair in December 2022 aren't extensively detailed.
- There was a slight increase in passengers on Icelandair's domestic flights, with 20,000 commuters in December 2022 compared to 19,000 in the same month the previous year.
- The aviation industry, including Icelandair, faced broader disruptions in December 2022, but it's notable that the airline's operations post-2023 have not been significantly affected by volcanic activity.
