American Departures from Iceland Drop Sharply

2026-02-22 - 16:25

Passenger numbers at Keflavík Airport saw a notable decline in January, with departures from the United States experiencing the sharpest drop. A decrease of 27% in the number of American travellers compared to the same month last year is being reported. This marks the lowest figure in nearly a decade, excluding the COVID-19 years. What's This Story? Keflavík Airport saw a 5.5% drop in passenger departures in January. American travellers decreased by 27%, marking the lowest figure in nearly a decade. British and Chinese departures increased, while fewer Icelanders travelled abroad. Keflavík Airport. Photo: Golli In total, 119,000 foreign passengers left Iceland in January, a 2% drop from the previous year. This is the lowest such figure since January 2016, when just 78,000 passengers departed. The peak of foreign departures occurred in 2018, with nearly 148,000 leaving the country that year. The sharpest decline came from American tourists, with only 24,000 departing Iceland in January, down from 33,000 last year. In contrast, the number of British travellers increased by 12%, with 21,000 Britons leaving Iceland this January. The Chinese also saw a slight rise in departures, up by 8%, to 9,000. Meanwhile, Icelandic citizens travelling abroad also saw a decrease, with just 43,000 Icelanders leaving in January. The overall number of passengers passing through Keflavík Airport fell by 5.5% compared to January 2023, totalling just over 443,000. The busiest day at the airport was 4 January, when 20,300 visitors arrived or departed. Currently, 16 airlines are offering direct flights from Keflavík to 56 destinations, with London, Copenhagen, Manchester, New York, and Paris being the most popular routes.