Norlandair

What Norlandair does

Norlandair is a privately held Icelandic regional airline headquartered at Akureyri Airport, operating a fleet of three de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter STOL aircraft and four Beechcraft King Air B200 turboprops across eight destinations (seven domestic Icelandic points and one Greenland destination, Nerlerit Inaat). The company was re-established on June 3, 2008 by former Air Iceland employees and investors who acquired the Twin Otter operations and Akureyri maintenance base, though its operational lineage as Flugfélag Norðurlands dates to 1974. Revenue is generated across three streams: scheduled passenger flights (subsidized in part by the Loftbrú rural-resident discount program), charter flights for business, air ambulance, scientific expeditions, and remote-area transport, and freight handled in partnership with Icelandair Cargo.

The core technical asset is the Twin Otter fleet, which is configurable with skis, floats, or wheeled gear to operate on icecaps, gravel strips, and unprepared surfaces across Iceland, Greenland, the Faroe Islands, and Scandinavia. Pilots undergo dedicated STOL training with two annual simulator proficiency checks, reflecting the niche skill set required for safe Arctic operations. The airline runs a multilingual direct booking platform at book.norlandair.is supporting ISK, EUR, and DKK, with Icelandair handling check-in and Icelandair Cargo managing all freight, and Air Greenland providing helicopter interline connections onward to Ittoqqortoormiit. Customer segments are rural Icelandic communities (catchments ranging from 50 to 660 residents), Greenlandic settlements reliant on winter air cargo, scientific research teams, and tourism travelers.

Norlandair is 87% owned by two shareholders — KEA Eignir ehf and Air Greenland — with four additional minority shareholders making up the balance; it has no VC or PE backing and is not publicly listed. CEO Arnar Friðriksson leads a 16-person organization, with the board split between KEA and Air Greenland representatives. With roughly 50 years of continuous Arctic service and an entrenched position on essential PSO-style links, the business operates as a niche infrastructure provider rather than a growth-oriented venture.

Name

Norlandair

Legal name

Norlandair

Website

https://norlandair.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Norlandair is a privately held Icelandic regional airline based in Akureyri operating scheduled flights, charter services, and freight to remote Icelandic communities and Greenland using a fleet of Twin Otter and King Air STOL aircraft.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Airline Services

NAICS

Nonscheduled Chartered Passenger Air Transportation (481211), Nonscheduled Air Transportation (4812), Other Support Activities for Air Transportation (488190)

SIC

Air Transportation, Scheduled (4512), Air Transportation, Nonscheduled (4522)

akta.pro primary industry

Feeder & Hub-Connector Regional Airlines (THABACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Thin-Route / Rural Community Regional Airlines (THABACAI), Essential Air Service (EAS) & Subsidized Regional Operators (THABACAC)

Keywords

• Regional airline services
• Scheduled passenger flights
• Charter flight services
• Air cargo transport
• Arctic aviation

Headquarters

HQ city

Akureyri

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Scheduled Passenger Flights: Revenue from scheduled domestic flights within Iceland connecting remote communities (Akureyri to Vopnafjörður, Þórshöfn, Grímsey; Reykjavík to Bíldudalur, Gjögur) and international flights to Greenland (Nerlerit Inaat/Constable Point). Passengers can book directly through the website with various fare options including Loftbrú discounts for rural residents.
2. Charter Flights: Revenue from charter flights for business trips, air ambulance services, and cargo/passenger transport to remote locations in Greenland. The company offers both Twin Otter and King Air aircraft for diverse charter needs.
3. Freight Services: Cargo transport to all Norlandair destinations. Freight services are handled by Icelandair Cargo, with packages sent on next available flights. Includes delivery of fresh produce to remote Greenlandic settlements during winter months.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Norlandair operates scheduled regional passenger flights connecting Akureyri with rural Icelandic communities (Hornafjörður, Vopnafjörður, Grímsey, Þórshöfn) and provides the only direct air link between Iceland and Greenland (Nerlerit Inaat, Constable Point, Kulusuk). In addition to scheduled services, the airline offers charter flights and air cargo/freight services using a fleet of STOL-capable Twin Otter and King Air aircraft.

Product overview

Norlandair operates as a regional airline offering three core services: scheduled flights connecting multiple Icelandic destinations and Greenland, charter flights using Twin Otter and Beechcraft King Air aircraft, and freight services. The airline connects remote communities across Iceland's Westfjords (Bíldudalur, Gjögur), North (Akureyri, Grímsey), East (Vopnafjörður, Þórshöfn), South (Vestmannaeyjar), and Greenland (Nerlerit Inaat). Charter operations extend to Scandinavia and the Faroe Islands. The company also participates in the Loftbrú government discount program for rural residents. With 50 years of Arctic operational experience, the fleet consists of 3 Twin Otter and 4 Beech 200 King Air aircraft.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scheduled Regional Passenger Flights Scheduled passenger air service connecting Akureyri (AEY) with rural Icelandic communities (Hornafjörður, Vopnafjörður, Grímsey, Þórshöfn) and providing the only direct air link between Iceland and East Greenland (Nerlerit Inaat, Constable Point, Kulusuk). Designed for residents, workers, and visitors of remote communities with no road or year-round sea access.
• Charter Flight Services On-demand charter flights operated with Twin Otter, King Air B200, and Learjet 35A aircraft for groups, expeditions, corporate travel and specialized missions in Iceland, Greenland, and other remote Arctic regions.
• Air Cargo and Freight Service Air freight transport services leveraging Norlandair's STOL-capable Twin Otter aircraft to deliver cargo to remote Icelandic and Greenlandic destinations that other carriers cannot serve, operated in partnership with Icelandair Cargo.

Quantifiable outcome

• Continuous service to East Greenland for nearly 50 years

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• IcelandaircoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIcelandair handles check-in for Norlandair flights at Reykjavík Airport and Akureyri Airport. Icelandair Cargo manages all freight services for Norlandair, including cargo delivery to remote destinations.
• Air Greenland (Helicopter Services)supportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAir Greenland offers helicopter flights to/from Ittoqqortoormiit village in connection with Norlandair flights to Nerlerit Inaat (Constable Point) airport, providing ground connections for passengers traveling to the remote settlement.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• Isavia: Icelandic national airport operator managing Akureyri and other airports Norlandair serves. Not a direct competitor but a critical infrastructure partner; relevant for understanding the controlled airport environment in which Norlandair operates.

Regional players

• Atlantic Airways: Flag carrier of the Faroe Islands, operating scheduled and charter flights across the North Atlantic. Highly comparable in operating environment (similar Arctic/sub-Arctic conditions) and small-fleet business model, though serving a different national market with limited direct overlap.

Direct peers

• Loganair: UK-based regional airline serving remote Scottish islands and communities. Closest European analogue in terms of PSO-supported scheduled routes to small populations, reliance on government subsidies, and use of small turboprop aircraft. Highly comparable business model and customer profile.
• Air Greenland: National carrier of Greenland and 87% co-owner of Norlandair. Operates similar fixed-wing and helicopter services across Greenland's remote communities, including direct overlap with Norlandair's Greenland charter routes and the Ittoqqortoormiit helicopter connection. Most directly comparable operator in terms of mission, fleet type, and Arctic operating environment.
• Widerøe: Norwegian regional airline operating short take-off and landing (STOL) routes to remote coastal communities, many under Norwegian government PSO contracts. Operates Dash 8 and similar small turboprops and shares Norlandair's mission of connecting remote Nordic communities with hub airports.
• Eagle Air Iceland: Icelandic regional airline operating scheduled domestic flights and charter services using small turboprop aircraft. Competes with Norlandair for Icelandic domestic and charter demand, with overlaps in passenger and business traveler segments, particularly around Akureyri and regional connectivity.
• Kenn Borek Air: Canadian operator specializing in Twin Otter and DC-3 operations across the Arctic, including polar research support, medevac, and remote community resupply. Highly comparable in fleet composition (Twin Otters), mission profile (Arctic research logistics), and operating geography.

Broad incumbents

• Bristow Helicopters: Global helicopter operator with significant Arctic and offshore presence serving oil & gas, search and rescue, and government transport. Comparable in remote-area passenger lift services and Arctic operational expertise, though focused on rotary-wing rather than STOL fixed-wing operations.
• Norwegian Air Shuttle: Large Nordic low-cost carrier. While operating at a different scale and on long-haul/short-haul routes, it touches the same Nordic passenger market and occasionally competes for Iceland-Norway tourist traffic. Relevant as a benchmark for Scandinavian aviation economics rather than a direct route competitor.
• Icelandair: Iceland's flag carrier and a core operational partner (check-in, cargo) for Norlandair. Operates a much broader international network from Reykjavík and serves as the dominant incumbent. Overlaps with Norlandair in providing domestic connectivity, but as part of a much larger portfolio of international long-haul services.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/norlandair
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/norlandair

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Norlandair