The next destination joining the Icelandair network has been announced. Flights to Istanbul, Türkiye, will begin next September, building on the airlines’ codeshare agreement and opening up new connection opportunities across Asia.
Masters of connection
Both Icelandair and Turkish Airlines are known for facilitating passenger connections across the world. Icelandair has a robust stopvoer offering to allow passengers to break up transatlantic journeys with a few days in Iceland, while Turkish Airlines flies to more countries than any other carrier worldwide.
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The flights from Keflavik International Airport (KEF) to 
Istanbul Airport (IST) will take around five hours and 30 minutes once they begin on September 5th, 2025. The service will operate four times a week using a Boeing 737-800 aircraft. In a statement seen by Simple Flying, Bogi Nils Bogason, President and CEO of Icelandair, expressed his excitement for the new route to begin:
“I look forward to adding the great destination of Istanbul to our extensive route network and to further expand the partnership with Turkish Airlines, opening convenient connections between Iceland and the east.
“In recent years, we have seen increased interest in travel between Asia and Iceland and with these new connections, we are further strengthening our sales and distribution network. We are excited to continue reinforcing our route network as well as connecting to exciting markets for our customers and tourism in Iceland.”
Photo: StudioPortoSabbia | Shutterstock
Istanbul is the largest city in Türkiye and spans the Bosporus Strait, which connects the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara. The city has long been known for its history and culture and is home to historic buildings, stunning mosques, fascinating museums, and one of the oldest and largest covered markets in the world.
Making Asia more accessible
The flight announcement comes more than a year after the two carriers announced a codeshare agreement. A partnership that will deepen as the new flights begin. Icelandair confirmed today that the schedule to Istanbul will be aligned with Turkish Airlines flights to and from Asia and the Middle East to reduce the total travel time from the east to Iceland and beyond.
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Passengers can connect to further points across Icelandair’s North American and European network, including the Faroe Islands and Greenland, from its base in Keflavik. The company’s CEO, Bogi Nils Bogason, confirmed on LinkedIn that the carrier is looking to deepen its partnership with Turkish Airlines:
“Following the announcement we will also further expand our codeshare partnership with Turkish Airlines, that was announced in summer 2023. Turkish Airlines is the airline which flies to the most countries in the world, and our schedule to Istanbul will be specially coordinated to align with Turkish Airlines flights to and from Asia and the Middle East.
“The new connection will therefore significantly reduce the total travel time from the east to Iceland, benefitting travelers on the route.”
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Passengers of both airlines can enjoy enhanced one-stop connections to North America and Europe.
The route announcement follows news that the airline is bringing forward its Nashville service due to increased demand. The company’s Chief Commercial Officer recently told Simple Flying:
“Icelanders are really excited about Nashville. Everybody knows Nashville, and they love to visit Music City.”
Photo: Vincenzo Pace | Simple Flying
The carrier is also in the process of retiring its Boeing 757-300s as it receives its Airbus A321LR aircraft. The last few models were scheduled to end operations last month, but according to flight tracking data, they are currently still operating routes to destinations including London and Copenhagen.
