Icelandair. Photo: Airlinephoto / Shutterstock As we reported this morning on PassportNews, a long line of cancellations to major European destinations appeared in the early hours of the strike. However, the new update from the airport's official flight schedule shows that the disruptions are not limited to the morning wave of flights.
Icelandair flights scheduled for the afternoon and evening to London Gatwick, Copenhagen, Barcelona, Amsterdam, Malaga, Rome and Paris are now also marked as canceled, alongside additional cancellations to destinations already affected earlier, including London Heathrow, Frankfurt, Munich, Zurich, Berlin, Brussels, Helsinki, Oslo and Stockholm.
Despite the scale of the cancellations, it is important to emphasize that Keflavík Airport continues to operate.
The official flight schedule simultaneously shows flights by British Airways, United Airlines, Delta, SAS, easyJet, Finnair, Wizz Air, and other companies as scheduled or active.
Icelandair itself has not canceled its entire flight schedule either. Several later flights, including to North America and some destinations in Europe, are still listed as scheduled at this stage. The status may, of course, change throughout the day depending on developments.
In Icelandair's official travel alert, last updated on September 22 at 3:22 PM, the company confirms that the flight schedule starting September 23 is affected by the organizational measures of the Icelandic Aircraft Mechanics Union.
The company says that its teams are working to provide alternative flights for affected passengers and asks passengers not to proactively contact the airline to change their booking, but to wait to receive an alternative route from the company.
Icelandair also urges passengers to ensure that their phone number and contact information are up to date in the Manage Booking area or in the company's app, and to regularly monitor flight status.
The strike began at 00:01 on September 23 after Icelandair aircraft mechanics approved the move by a large majority.
According to the Mechanics' Union, 88.3% of voters supported the strike, with a voter turnout of 92%. The shutdown was declared without a specific end date.
The dispute between the parties concerns, among other things, wage agreements, shift schedules, use of contractors, and the manner in which the mechanics' work will be regulated in the future.
For passengers, the meaning at this point is clear: anyone planning to fly with Icelandair today or in the coming days should check their flight status before leaving for the airport, especially as long as the strike continues with no end date.