WOW air

What WOW air does

WOW air is a low-cost transatlantic airline, originally established in Iceland in 2011 and operated as WOW air hf. until ceasing operations on March 28, 2019. The WOW brand and assets were acquired in June 2019 by USAerospace Partners Inc., a Washington, DC-based aerospace firm, under which WOW air is being rebuilt as a wholly-owned subsidiary that retains Icelandic DNA as its operational platform. The company has not yet resumed paying passenger service and is using email capture and social media to build a launch waitlist.

The company's product portfolio centers on the WOW world™ ecosystem, which spans passenger air travel, dedicated cargo freighters, and duty-free retail (WOW air Café and Marketplace). Its signature commercial proposition is Honest Fares™, an all-inclusive pricing model that bundles bags, seat selection, food, WiFi, and entertainment into the base fare, supported operationally by a Clean Cabin™ policy with a dedicated cabin attendant. WOW air Cargo operates an end-to-end platform for booking, consigning, tracking, and monitoring shipments — including eCommerce fulfillment — connecting East Africa, Sicily, Iceland, Russia, and America. The company also publishes WOW Magazine as an in-flight content channel and, through its parent, owns Velocity Veteran Veneers (3V) for aircraft interior applications.

Commercially, WOW air pursues a direct-to-consumer motion through its own website (wowair.com) and a self-serve cargo portal, with no disclosed reliance on third-party distributors or OTAs. Revenue mechanics are described as bundled one-time fares for passengers and transaction-based cargo fees, but no revenue, ARR, pricing levels, or unit economics are disclosed. Customer concentration is undisclosed; the company identifies individual leisure and business travelers as its primary passenger segment and wholesale/retail shippers as its cargo base. Headcount is reported at 51–100 employees, with leadership including Chairman and Brand Ambassador Michele Roosevelt Edwards, Director of WOW Italy Giuseppe Cataldo, and Chef de Cuisine Roger Wiles.

Name

WOW air

Legal name

USAerospace Partners Inc.

Website

https://wowair.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

WOW air is a low-cost transatlantic airline rebuilt under USAerospace Partners after the 2019 bankruptcy of the original Icelandic carrier, offering bundled all-inclusive passenger fares, dedicated cargo freighters, and retail concepts under its WOW world ecosystem, with passenger service not yet relaunched.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Reykjavík

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Passenger Airfare: Core revenue from passenger airline tickets. The Honest Fares™ model bundles typical ancillary fees (bags, seats, food, WiFi) into the base fare, providing transparent pricing. The airline operates long-haul routes connecting continents with a low-cost carrier model.
2. Cargo Services: WOW air Cargo operations moving goods globally via dedicated freighters. The service connects East Africa, Sicily, Iceland, Russia, and America, transporting fish, fruits, flowers, and other products. Includes supply chain management services for businesses.
3. WOW air Café and Marketplace Retail: Retail locations bringing Duty Free concepts to main street. Part of the WOW world ecosystem expanding revenue beyond traditional airline services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WOW air is a low-cost airline providing passenger air travel under the WOW world™ ecosystem, operating transatlantic routes connecting continents with its signature Honest Fares™ pricing model that bundles bags, seat selection, food, and internet into the base fare. The company also operates WOW air Cargo, a dedicated freight service using its own freighters to transport goods globally (fish, fruits, flowers, eCommerce) with end-to-end booking, tracking, and monitoring. WOW air is rebuilding operations under USAerospace Partners, which acquired the brand and assets in June 2019 after the original Icelandic carrier ceased operations.

Product overview

WOW air is a low-cost airline operating as a wholly-owned subsidiary of USAerospace Partners, offering passenger air travel with a disruptive Honest Fares™ model that bundles bags, seats, meals, and internet into the base fare. The company operates WOW world™ as its overarching brand ecosystem spanning passenger flights, cargo operations, and retail concepts. Core offerings include WOW air Passenger Service (transatlantic routes), Honest Fares™ (transparent pricing), WOW air Cargo (freight operations with eCommerce platform), Clean Cabin™ (cabin hygiene service), and WOW air Café and Marketplace (retail locations). The brand publishes WOW Magazine as an in-flight publication. USAerospace Partners also acquired Velocity Veteran Veneers (3V) for aviation interior applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Honest Fares™: All-inclusive fare model that includes bag, seat, food and Internet for passengers traveling in WOW world™
• WOW world™
• WOW air Cargo
• Clean Cabin™
• WOW air Café and Marketplace
• Velocity Veteran Veneers (3V)

Products and services

• WOW air Passenger Service Low-cost airline offering transcontinental passenger flights connecting continents for both business and leisure travelers, with all-inclusive pricing covering bag, seat, food, and internet under the Honest Fares™ model.
• WOW air Cargo Dedicated cargo and freight services using WOW freighters to move goods globally, connecting East Africa, Sicily, Iceland, Russia, and America. Supports eCommerce logistics with an end-to-end cargo platform for booking, consigning, tracking, and monitoring deliveries across desktop, tablet, and smartphone.
• WOW air Café and Marketplace Physical retail locations offering duty-free products to consumers, part of the WOW world™ ecosystem providing additional touchpoints beyond traditional airline services.

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Velocity Veteran Veneers (3V)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 August 2020USAerospace Partners and WOW air welcomed 3V - Velocity Veteran Veneers to the family of aerospace holdings. Velocity Veteran Veneers brings classic aviation interior applications to commercial passenger aircraft experience. This is part of the company's strategy to enhance aircraft interiors as they rebuild operations.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• PLAY: Icelandic low-cost carrier launched in 2019 to fill the void left by WOW air's collapse, operating transatlantic A321neo and A320neo services between Europe and North America with a similar low-cost positioning. Direct strategic and route-overlap peer to WOW air's planned revival.
• Norwegian Air Shuttle: European low-cost carrier that pioneered low-cost long-haul with Boeing 787 operations across the Atlantic before restructuring. Closest comparable in low-cost long-haul business model and serves as a cautionary precedent for WOW air's revival strategy.
• Wizz Air: European ultra-low-cost carrier with extensive intra-Europe and growing long-haul network, emphasizing bundled ancillaries. Comparable in low-cost operating model and aggressive geographic expansion strategy targeting underserved leisure markets.
• LEVEL: IAG-owned low-cost long-haul brand operating A330 services from Barcelona, Paris, and Vienna to North and South America. Direct comparable as a platform-based low-cost long-haul carrier concept similar to WOW air's WOW world strategy.
• Eurowings Discover: Lufthansa Group's low-cost long-haul brand operating A330 services from Frankfurt to leisure destinations in the Americas, Caribbean, and Africa. Comparable as a leisure-focused low-cost long-haul carrier within a larger group structure (similar to WOW air within USAerospace Partners).
• Spirit Airlines: US ultra-low-cost carrier with unbundled fare structure and heavy reliance on ancillary fees — comparable in low-cost positioning and ancillary-heavy business model, though Spirit's financial struggles in 2023-2024 are a cautionary tale.

Broad incumbents

• Icelandair: Flag carrier of Iceland operating a hub-and-spoke network between Europe and North America via Reykjavik, with cargo and passenger services. The established incumbent whose Iceland hub economics WOW air historically relied on as a connecting carrier.
• easyJet: One of Europe's largest low-cost carriers, primarily short-haul with extensive route network, online distribution, and ancillary revenue. Comparable in low-cost positioning and digital-direct distribution, though primarily short-haul versus WOW air's planned long-haul focus.
• Ryanair: Europe's largest low-cost carrier and the benchmark for low-cost airline unit economics. Comparable in low-cost DNA and ancillary-revenue focus, though primarily short-haul versus WOW air's long-haul ambition.

Others

• Cargolux: European-based all-cargo airline operating dedicated freighters on intercontinental routes, including perishables. Comparable to WOW air Cargo's dedicated-freighter model serving niche cargo corridors with similar commodity economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wow_air
• Facebookfacebook.com/wowiceland
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wow-air
• Instagraminstagram.com/wowair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about WOW air