ICELAND'S CRAZIEST AIRPORT? Icelandair Dash 8-200 at Isafjordur Airport

Why It Matters

Losing the Isafjordur flight would sever a critical lifeline for a remote community, harming tourism, local businesses, and emergency access, making swift resolution essential for regional stability.

Key Takeaways

• Isafjordur Airport requires complex 180-degree turn approaches for landing
• Dash 8-200s currently serve route; retirement threatens service
• Larger Dash 8-400s cannot operate due to runway constraints
• Government subsidy bids failed; only Icelandair submitted high-cost offer
• Flights may cease by fall 2026 without new agreement

Summary

The video spotlights Isafjordur Airport in Iceland’s remote Westfjords, a 1,400‑meter strip tucked into a fjord that forces pilots to execute tight, 180‑degree turns on final approach. Currently, Icelandair’s Dash 8‑200 turboprops make the twice‑daily link from Reykjavik, but the aircraft are slated for retirement, and larger Dash 8‑400s are too big for the runway.

Because the runway’s geometry precludes straight‑in landings, the 07 approach requires a full half‑circle along the opposite shore, while the 25 approach demands a rapid turn from the southeastern shoreline. Icelandair operates three Dash 8‑200s and three Dash 8‑400s, yet announced it would cease the Isafjordur service once the 200‑series are withdrawn. The Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration opened a subsidized tender, but Icelandair was the sole bidder and its price exceeded the government’s estimate, leaving the route’s future uncertain.

The narrator notes the dramatic visual of a Dash 8 landing on runway 26 and taking off in the opposite direction, underscoring the airport’s uniqueness. With no public bus service and a five‑hour drive to Reykjavik, the community of roughly 2,700 residents depends on the flight for tourism, business, and medical access. The scheduled termination in fall 2026 could isolate the region unless a viable financial or operational solution emerges.

The situation illustrates how infrastructure constraints can jeopardize essential air links in sparsely populated areas. Stakeholders must weigh the cost of subsidies against the economic fallout of losing connectivity, and explore alternatives such as smaller aircraft, runway upgrades, or multi‑modal transport investments to sustain the Westfjords’ link to the capital.

Original Description

The country of Iceland is well known for its natural beauty, but with that comes some interesting challenges for aviation, especially for one town in particular - Ísafjörður.

Located in northwest Iceland, in the Westfjords region, the town of Ísafjörður is home to about 2700 people.

The town itself is in the middle of a fjord, and its airport is here on the fjord's southern edge with one 1400-meter long runway, runway 07/25.

Because of where the airport sits in the fjord, a straight-in approach isn't possible for either end of the runway. The runway 25 approach has aircraft flying along the southeastern shore then making a quick turn to line up with the runway on short final. Then there's the even more challenging runway 07 approach, flying along the opposite side of the fjord before making a 180 degree turn to land.

The airport is served twice a day from the capital, Reykjavik, by Icelandair Dash 8-200s operated by Air Iceland Connect, but that may change later this year. Icelandair has 3 Dash 8-200s and 3 Dash 8-400s flying for them, and about a year ago, they announced that they were stopping flights to Ísafjörður with the Dash 8-200's impending retirement.

The Dash 8-400s are apparently too large for the airport, which would leave the town without any air service. There's also no public bus service to Ísafjörður, and Reykjavik is an almost 5-hour drive away, so the loss of the flight would be devastating for the whole region.

Following the news, the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration requested bids from airlines to keep the route going with a subsidy, which could be enough for Icelandair to keep the Dash 8-200s around.

However, Icelandair's bid to fly the route for the next four years was far more expensive than what the government had estimated, and they were the only bidder. The flights are scheduled to stop in fall 2026, so there is still some time for both parties to find a solution to hopefully keep the flights going.

Given all this, while on a road trip around Iceland with a couple friends last September, I knew we had to stop here. We were able to see one Dash 8 turnaround, with some incredible close up views arriving on runway 26 and then departing the opposite direction. Enjoy this short spotting video from one of the coolest airports I've ever been to!

SOURCES

Pronunciation: https://youtu.be/_FXN1OrHmq0?t=1020

https://grapevine.is/news/2025/07/25/flights-to-isafjordur-require-government-subsidy/

https://www.icelandreview.com/news/government-aid-needed-to-keep-isafjordur-flights-running/

https://www.ruv.is/english/2026-02-27-icelandair-isafjordur-flight-offer-far-exceeds-vegagerdin-estimate-468082

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/ch-aviation_chaviation-aviationnews-icelandair-activity-7371512844921561088-YenB

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FLIGHT INFORMATION

Airline: Icelandair (operated by Air Iceland Connect) (ICE/FI)

Aircraft: De Havilland Canada Dash 8-Q200 (DH8B)

Flight Number: FI16/17

Livery: New (2023)

Engines: 2x Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123D

Registration: TF-FXK

Route: Reykjavik (RKV) - Isafjordur (IFJ) - Reykjavik (RKV)

Callsign: Ice Air 16Y, 17Y

Runway used: 25, 07

Date filmed: September 2025

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Outro song - "Take Flight" by Nyhtian: https://youtu.be/bCTTwQ_269c

© Alex Praglowski Aviation 2026

This video is the property of Alex Praglowski Aviation and may not be used for any purpose without prior permission. Contact me at the email in the "About" section of my channel for usage.