There is some good news for travellers flying out of Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport in Maryland. Icelandair is coming to Baltimore with nonstop Transatlantic flights from Reykjavik.
Starting 13th May 2022, Icelandair will fly 3-times-a-week between Keflavík International Airport and Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. The flight schedule is:
- Reykjavik-Baltimore
- Departure time: 17:10
- Arrival time: 19:30
- Flight time: 6 hours and 20 minutes
- Flight number: FI643
- Frequency: Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
- Baltimore-Reykjavik
- Departure time: 20:30
- Arrival time: 06:25 (the next day)
- Flight time: 5 hours and 55 minutes
- Flight number: FI643
- Frequency: Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Icelandair will deploy a Boeing B737MAX-8 featuring 160 seats. At the front of the plane, there are 16 recliner-style business class seats. Behind the business class cabin is the economy class cabin with 144 seats in a 3-3-3 layout.
Business class seats have a width of 20.5” inches and 40” inch pitch while economy class seats have 17.2” inches of width and 31-32” inch pitch. Icelandair offers on-demand entertainment at every seats in addition to power outlets and USB port.
Bogi Nils Bogason, CEO, Icelandair, said:
Iceland is now open to all vaccinated U.S. passengers, and Europe is beginning to open their borders, as well. We are pleased to return to Baltimore/Washington International Airport with nonstop flights to Iceland and beyond. Our return shows the promising future of air travel and our commitment to better serve the Baltimore-Washington area. We look forward to offering travelers more options when traveling to Europe and welcoming BWI aboard again.
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The announcement comes as passenger traffic has grown steadily in recent months at BWI Marshall Airport. Friday, 18th June, marked the busiest day for departing passengers at BWI Marshall since the start of the pandemic, as the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screened 26,807 passengers.
Larry Hogan, Governor, Baltimore, said:
As Maryland continues to recover from the global pandemic, we welcome new opportunities for international tourism and trade. This additional service connecting Maryland to Iceland – and beyond – is a positive sign for the economy here and abroad.
Ricky Smith, Executive Director of BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport, said:
Customer demand for air travel is returning and will continue to grow, and that includes increased confidence in international travel. We look forward to working with Icelandair to offer safe and efficient air service for our shared passengers.
This is not the 1st time that Icelandair will serve Baltimore from Reykjavik. The airline previously served the airport in 2018 and ended operations in early 2019 during the less busy winter travel season.
With the resumption of flights to Baltimore, Icelandair will be able to target Baltimore-area passengers who want to visit Iceland and those who are also looking for a connection onward to Europe. The flight is conveniently timed for passengers to be able to catch those connections.
Icelandair also flies to nearby Washington Dulles International Airport and continues to keep Dulles on the schedule, even with Baltimore service. The airline can likely sustain two services to the Washington D.C. metro area, especially given that it is not adding a lot of capacity with 4-weekly flights.
So present, Iceland is open to international travellers who are fully vaccinated or else have proof of a previous COVID-19 infection. Until 1st July 2021, passengers will also have to undergo a test on arrival in Keflavik. However, by May 2022, we can expect the travel restrictions to ease.
Featured image by JetPhotos
What do you think of Icelandair’s Baltimore service with the Boeing B737MAX? Let me know in the comments section below.
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