Icelandair will launch new service to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR) from its hub at Keflavik International Airport (KEF) in Iceland on October 28. The route will operate four times per week and will complement the carrier’s existing flights to New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK). Newark becomes Icelandair’s 11th gateway in North America and the 36th destination within the airline’s global network.
Birkir Holm Guðnason, CEO of Icelandair, said the new flights will support both transatlantic connections and the growing winter tourism market in Iceland. The additional service to Newark is timed to enhance travel options for passengers connecting through Keflavik, offering more flexibility for travelers between North America and Europe as well as improved access for visitors to Iceland during the winter season.
The four-times-weekly schedule is designed to integrate with Icelandair’s existing timetables, allowing convenient connections for onward travel across the Atlantic. By adding Newark alongside the established JFK service, Icelandair increases capacity to the New York metropolitan area and provides customers more choices for departure and arrival airports. This benefits both leisure travelers and business passengers who value multiple options for timing and airport convenience.
Newark Liberty International Airport is a major hub serving the New York region, with extensive ground transportation links and frequent rail and road connections to Manhattan, New Jersey, and surrounding areas. Icelandair’s decision to serve EWR is likely to appeal to passengers based in northern New Jersey, western New York, and other nearby communities that find Newark more convenient than JFK.
For Iceland, the new service supports steady growth in international visitors, particularly during months when the island’s unique winter attractions—such as the Northern Lights, geothermal spas, and seasonal outdoor activities—draw travelers seeking cold-weather experiences. Icelandair has emphasized the importance of connecting traffic through KEF, which functions as a strategic gateway between Europe and North America. The carrier’s hub-and-spoke model uses KEF to enable efficient layovers and transfers, often allowing passengers to stop in Iceland en route between continents.
Passengers flying on the new EWR–KEF service can expect Icelandair’s standard amenities and service options, which typically include Economy and Saga (business class) cabins, in-flight entertainment, and the opportunity to book stopovers in Iceland when traveling between North America and Europe. These stopovers allow visitors to explore Iceland for a few days without additional airfare in many fare structures, a feature that has been popular with travelers seeking to combine trips.
Operational details such as flight times, aircraft type, and the exact days of the week the service will operate are available through Icelandair’s official schedules and reservation channels. Travelers planning trips for the upcoming winter season should check the airline’s timetable and book early, as seasonal demand for flights to Iceland and transatlantic connections can increase quickly, particularly around holiday periods and major events.
By expanding its North American network with the addition of Newark, Icelandair continues to strengthen its transatlantic reach while supporting tourism and business travel flows between Iceland and the United States. The new route underscores the carrier’s strategy of building multiple gateways in major markets to offer passengers a wider range of routing and timing choices when traveling between continents.