Icelandair Cargo
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersHafnarfjörður, Iceland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Icelandair Cargo does
Icelandair Cargo is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Icelandair Group, operating dedicated air freight services between a Keflavík International Airport hub and a network of over 40 destinations across Europe, North America, Greenland, and Asia. Established as an independent subsidiary in 1999 with cargo division roots dating to 1973 and parent company origins in 1937, the company operates two dedicated Boeing 767-300 freighter aircraft and supplements capacity with belly cargo on Icelandair's passenger fleet (Boeing 767, 757, 737-MAX, and DHC8). The service portfolio covers twelve distinct cargo categories including general freight, perishable goods with temperature-controlled warehousing, live animals (notably horse exports), pharmaceuticals under PER/COL protocols, dangerous goods, valuables, human remains, personal effects, domestic Iceland freight, customs clearance, and aircraft charter. Primary customer segments are perishable goods exporters (especially Icelandic seafood) and general cargo/freight brokers, supported by specialized niches in equine transport and pharmaceutical logistics.
Icelandair Cargo firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Icelandair Cargo
- Legal name
- Icelandair Cargo
- Website
- https://icelandaircargo.is
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Icelandair Cargo industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Air Cargo Services
- NAICS
- Air Transportation (481), Nonscheduled Chartered Freight Air Transportation (481212)
- SIC
- Air Courier Services (4513), Arrangement Of Transportation Of Freight & Cargo (4731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers) (THABAEAA)
Keywords
Where Icelandair Cargo is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Hafnarfjörður
- HQ country
- Iceland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Icelandair Cargo business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Freight Transport Services: Core revenue from transporting cargo via dedicated Boeing 767 freighter aircraft and the lower holds of Icelandair passenger aircraft. Charges are applied per shipment based on weight, volume, and cargo type. Services cover general cargo, perishables, livestock, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, valuables, human remains, and priority shipments.
- Charter and Ad-hoc Freighter Services: Revenue from leasing dedicated freighter aircraft for specialized transport needs, including emergency shipments of medical and humanitarian equipment, perishables, machinery, spare parts, sensitive goods, valuables, and live animals.
- Customs Clearance and Ground Handling Services: Fees charged for customs clearance and delivery/transportation services in Iceland, Europe, and North America, provided to both businesses and individuals as an add-on to core freight transport.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Quote-based freight pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels3 records
Icelandair Cargo product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Icelandair Cargo provides scheduled and chartered air freight transportation using two dedicated Boeing 767-300 freighter aircraft and belly-cargo capacity on Icelandair's passenger fleet. Services span 12 cargo categories including general cargo, perishables, live animals, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, valuables, human remains, and personal effects, connecting Iceland to over 40 destinations across Europe, North America, Greenland, and Asia via the Keflavík hub.
Product overview
Icelandair Cargo operates as a dedicated cargo subsidiary of Icelandair Group, offering a comprehensive air freight service portfolio built around Boeing 767 freighter aircraft and belly cargo capacity in Icelandair's passenger fleet. The core service is general cargo transport (Almennir flutningar) across an extensive network connecting Iceland to over 40 destinations in Europe, North America, Asia, and Greenland, with the Keflavik hub as the central point. Specialized cargo services include live animal transport (AVI) with horse-specific operations, fresh food with temperature control (Fersk matvæli), pharmaceuticals (PER/COL), dangerous goods (DGR), valuable cargo (VAL), human remains (HUM), and personal effects. Premium offerings include priority and express cargo (Forgangsflutningar) and aircraft charter services. Value-added services encompass customs clearance, ground transport, and the Freight.aero digital platform for broker documentation. The fleet consists of two Boeing 767 freighters supplemented by cargo capacity in Boeing 767, 757, 737 passenger aircraft, and De Havilland DHC8 regional aircraft.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- General Cargo (Almennir flutningar) Standard freight transport service for goods that do not require special handling (GCA), covering cargo transported via the extensive European and North American network for businesses and freight forwarders.
- Live Animal Transport (Dýraflutningar / AVI) Specialized transport service for animals including horse transport (AVI) with dedicated horse containers carrying 1-5 horses, accompanied by experienced handlers. Operates with Boeing 767 freighters to Belgium (Liege) and USA (New York JFK).
- Fresh Food Transport (Fersk matvæli) Temperature-controlled transport for perishable goods including fresh seafood, produce, and other perishables. Features specialized warehouses and advanced temperature management systems.
- Pharmaceutical Transport (Lyfjaflutningar / PER/COL) Specialized pharmaceutical cargo transport (PER/COL) requiring careful handling, compliance with import/export regulations, proper licensing, and appropriate packaging.
- Personal Effects (Persónulegir munir) Transport service for personal belongings and household goods, available on both cargo and passenger aircraft. Requires proper packing and documentation including English content list.
- Dangerous Goods Transport (Hættulegur varningur / DGR) Transport of dangerous goods requiring special caution, compliant with IATA Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR). Covers flammable, corrosive, toxic, or radioactive materials.
- Priority Cargo (Forgangsflutningar) Priority shipping service with two tiers: Priority handling (COU) for expedited delivery, and Express service for larger urgent shipments with first priority, reserved cargo space, and continuous tracking.
- Valuable Cargo Transport (Verðmætaflutningar / VAL) Secure transport for high-value items (VAL) requiring special supervision. Includes secure storage in vault facilities, security officer monitoring during handling, advance confirmation, and strict booking requirements.
- Human Remains Transport (Jarðneskar leifar / HUM) Transport of coffins and urns (HUM) to and from Iceland, requiring careful handling and coordination with funeral homes or freight forwarders.
- Domestic Cargo (Innanlandsfrakt) Iceland domestic freight service connecting Reykjavik with Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, Ísafjörður, and Hafnar in Hornafjörður. Offers short-notice delivery down to 30 minutes before departure, priority freight options, and ground transport services.
- Customs Clearance and Delivery Service (Tollafgreiðsla og sendingarþjónusta) Customs clearance and ground transport services in Iceland, available to both businesses and individuals, with similar services available at most destinations.
- Aircraft Charter (Flugvélaleiga) Aircraft charter service for various cargo transport needs including emergency medical/humanitarian equipment, food, tools, spare parts, sensitive goods, valuable assets, and animals.
Quantifiable outcome
- Deliver freshly caught fish to foreign markets within hours of being hauled from the sea
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use Icelandair Cargo
Customer profileSegments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Icelandair Cargo technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Icelandair Cargo partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Freight.aerocoreFreight.aero is a digital freight platform used by freight brokers to create and submit house airwaybills (HAWB) for pre-registration into European and US customs systems. Icelandair Cargo integrates with this platform as a key part of its broker engagement and documentation workflow.
- Four Specialized Horse Export CompaniescoreIcelandair Cargo works closely with four specialized horse export companies that handle all aspects of horse exports from Iceland — from seller to buyer — including ground transport, veterinary inspection, documentation, customs clearance, and delivery. These partners manage horse logistics from Icelandic sellers to international buyers.
- European Warehouses and Trucking CompaniescorePartnership with warehouses and trucking companies throughout Europe enables Icelandair Cargo to provide end-to-end service across the continent, in addition to its own cargo handling in Liege, Belgium.
- Partner Airlines and Freight Service ProviderscoreIcelandair Cargo extends its global reach through partnerships with other airlines and freight service providers, enabling cargo transport to Asia and other remote destinations beyond its direct route network.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Icelandair Cargo competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Bluebird Cargo: Icelandic all-cargo airline operating Boeing 737 and 747 freighters from Keflavík across Europe, North America, and Africa. Direct Icelandic competitor with overlapping geographic base and similar transatlantic cargo positioning.
- National Airlines: US-based cargo airline operating Boeing 747 freighters on scheduled and charter services across transatlantic and global routes. Comparable in dedicated freighter capacity and B2B freight broker model.
- Challenge Airlines: Belgian cargo airline operating Boeing 747 freighters on scheduled and charter routes between Europe, Asia, and North America. Comparable in scheduled all-cargo model and Liege/European hub presence.
- Cargolux: Luxembourg-based scheduled all-cargo airline operating Boeing 747 freighters across transatlantic and global routes. Closest direct peer to Icelandair Cargo in aircraft type, scheduled all-cargo model, and transatlantic focus, though at meaningfully larger scale.
- AirBridgeCargo: Previously one of the largest scheduled all-cargo airlines, operating Boeing 747 freighters across transatlantic and Asia-Europe routes. Directly comparable in scheduled freighter model and temperature-controlled commodities.
- ASL Airlines: European cargo airline operating Boeing 737 freighters on scheduled and charter services across Europe, with growing transatlantic operations. Comparable in offering scheduled freight with a freighter-dominant fleet.
- Western Global Airlines: US-based cargo carrier operating Boeing 747 and MD-11 freighters on transatlantic and transpacific routes. Comparable in dedicated freighter model serving similar transatlantic shipper and freight-forwarder base.
Broad incumbents
- FedEx Express: Global integrated express carrier operating one of the world's largest air freight fleets across transatlantic and global routes. Comparable in providing scheduled air freight but operates at vastly greater scale with integrator network.
- DHL Air: UK-based subsidiary of Deutsche Post DHL operating a fleet of Boeing 747, 777, and 767 freighters on European and intercontinental routes. Broader incumbent with much larger network, integrator capabilities, and door-to-door service.
Regional players
- Air Atlanta Icelandic: Icelandic-headquartered airline operating Boeing 747 freighters and passenger aircraft on global charter and scheduled services. Comparable in Icelandic base and freighter operations, though with a different route focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Icelandair Cargo social profiles
Digital presenceIcelandair Cargo financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Icelandair Cargo leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Icelandair Cargo funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Icelandair Cargo M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Icelandair Cargo
What does Icelandair Cargo do?
Icelandair Cargo provides scheduled and chartered air freight transportation using two dedicated Boeing 767-300 freighter aircraft and belly-cargo capacity on Icelandair's passenger fleet. Services span 12 cargo categories including general cargo, perishables, live animals, pharmaceuticals, dangerous goods, valuables, human remains, and personal effects, connecting Iceland to over 40 destinations across Europe, North America, Greenland, and Asia via the Keflavík hub.
Is Icelandair Cargo a public or private company?
Icelandair Cargo is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Icelandair Cargo founded?
Icelandair Cargo was founded in 1999. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Icelandair Cargo based?
Icelandair Cargo is headquartered in Hafnarfjörður, Iceland, in the Europe region.
How does Icelandair Cargo make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Freight Transport Services are the primary driver. The others are charter and Ad-hoc Freighter Services and customs Clearance and Ground Handling Services.
Who are Icelandair Cargo's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Bluebird Cargo, National Airlines, Challenge Airlines, Cargolux, AirBridgeCargo, ASL Airlines and Western Global Airlines. Broad incumbents are FedEx Express and DHL Air. Air Atlanta Icelandic is listed as a regional player.
Does Icelandair Cargo have an API?
No public API is recorded for Icelandair Cargo.
What industry is Icelandair Cargo in?
Icelandair Cargo's product category is Air Cargo Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THABAEAA, Scheduled Air Cargo Airlines (All-Cargo Carriers). Its NAICS code is 481 and its SIC code is 4513.