Traveled Nearly 3.7 Million People in the Previous Year
Icelandair Sees Passenger Surge and Operational Challenges in December 2022
Icelandair experienced a significant increase in passenger numbers during December 2022, with 20,000 passengers on domestic flights and a total of 233,500 passengers on both domestic and international flights. This marks a 150% increase compared to the previous year, with a total of 3.7 million passengers.
The surge in demand for air travel is a key factor behind this increase. The recovery in travel demand post-pandemic is evident in Icelandair's rising passenger counts and revenues in the months following 2022, suggesting December 2022 experienced high load factors as travel normalized. Additionally, Icelandair's general growth trend in passenger numbers is indicated by a 24% increase reported in April 2025 compared to previous years.
However, this increased passenger volume has also led to operational challenges for Icelandair. The extreme weather in Iceland during December, particularly the closure of Reykjanesbraut, had a significant impact on punctuality, seat usage, and flight schedule last month. As a result, the on-time performance on domestic flights in December 2022 was 81%, despite significant weather disruptions, while on international flights it was 62.4%.
The load factor on international flights in December 2022 was 73%, an improvement from the 71% in December 2021. On the other hand, the load factor on domestic flights was 73%, compared to 70% in December 2021.
Sold block hours in charter flights increased by 13% in December 2022. Freight measured in Freight Ton Kilometers on domestic flights in December 2022 was around the same as in December 2021.
Icelandair's capacity in December 2022 was closer to the pre-Covid-19 levels than it was in January 2022 and June 2022, reaching 91% of the 2019 level.
While the specific causes for the delays in December 2022 were not detailed in the provided sources, the general pattern for many airlines in post-pandemic recovery phases has been rising passenger volumes combined with some deterioration in on-time performance due to capacity and staffing pressures.
- The surge in demand for air travel, as evident in Icelandair's increasing passenger numbers, is likely influenced by the recovery in travel demand post-pandemic.
- The extreme weather conditions in Iceland during December 2022, such as the closure of Reykjanesbraut, had a significant impact on the airline's operational performance, specifically punctuality, seat usage, and flight schedule.
- The aviation industry, including Icelandair, may face challenges in maintaining on-time performance and managing capacity during the post-pandemic recovery phase due to rising passenger volumes and potential staffing pressures.
