Icelandair is pleased to announce scheduled service between London Heathrow to Seattle-Tacoma International (SEA) starting July 22, 2009. Flights will connect via Reykjavik, allowing passengers the option to stopover in Iceland at no additional airfare.

The Icelandic flag carrier will offer four flights a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday) departing London at 13:00 and arriving at 16:45 in Seattle. Working in cooperation with Alaska Airlines, this early arrival allows for a host of onward connections to destinations in the western United States and Canada including: Anchorage, Calgary, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Francisco and Vancouver. Returning flights depart Seattle on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays at 15:30, arriving in London at 11:45 the following day. Flights to Seattle will also be available from Manchester, but will require an overnight stopover in Iceland.

The route will be flown by 183-seat Boeing 757 aircraft offering Saga Business Class, Economy Comfort Class and Economy Class. Passengers will enjoy new leather-upholstered seats with state-of-the-art personalised entertainment systems.

Icelandair is known for being a pioneer and using the strength of its mid-Atlantic hub in Iceland to connect Europe with North America, so despite the current economic climate, the Seattle service is considered an opportunity to provide customers with a new destination and cost-effective way to travel to the western United States and Canada. “One could say the launch of the Seattle service smells like Viking spirit,” said Hjorvar Saeberg Hognason, General Manager - UK & Ireland. “With its accessible nature, active lifestyle and music scene, Seattle is a very similar destination to Iceland. We believe both are growing destinations waiting to be explored. And with the option of the Iceland stopover, we hope that passengers will consider combining Seattle and Iceland to make a unique holiday.”

With roots stretching back 70 years, Icelandair is proud of its position as one of the world’s longest established airlines. The airline has been a member of IATA since 1950, a member of AEA since 1957 and the International Flight Safety Foundation since 1966. Today, Icelandair’s route network is composed of 25 international gateways including London Heathrow and Manchester in the UK. In addition to Seattle, Icelandair also provides service to Reykjavik, Iceland and six North American gateways: Boston, Halifax, Minneapolis-St. Paul, New York City, Orlando and Toronto.