I & I - 2011, Blaðsíða 39

39I&I
Many people know that Icelandair has been flying over the
north Atlantic for decades. But the company has an ex-
tensive network serving more than thirty cities in Europe and
North America and flying almost 2 million people annually. In
addition to that, Icelandair Group runs several other companies
in the travel and aviation industries, like the domestic airline
Air Iceland, Icelandair Hotels, Icelandair Cargo, as well as travel
agencies, a charter airline and other service providers.
“This company has a long and colorful history and has man-
aged to hold on to the magnificent pioneering spirit of its
founders,” says Björgólfur Jóhannsson, Icelandair Group Presi-
dent and CEO. “Our main goal is of course to run a profitable
company, offering customers from all over the world great value
for money. But we are also well aware of our social responsibil-
ity in both providing the Icelandic nation with a great airline to
connect it with the outside world, as well as being the founda-
tion of the fast growing tourism sector in Iceland, now one of
Iceland’s key industries and job providers,” says Björgólfur.
Following the banking crisis in Iceland in 2008, Icelandair
Group has now returned to profitability and is one of the few
companies still listed on the OMX Icelandic stock exchange. In
2010 it had the best EBITdA-profit in its history, ISK 12.6 billion
(EUR 76 million/ USd 110 million). The company is also doing
well in 2011.
Icelandair Group focuses on two main business areas: A Route
Network based on using Keflavík International Airport as a hub
between Europe and North America, a strategy developed by
the company over the decades; and Tourism Services with a
focus on supporting the route network as well as offering ser-
vices to tourists in Iceland and to Icelanders travelling abroad.
Icelandair Group is a developing and growing company. “It is
a great testament to our staff, to their experience and dedica-
tion, that having faced both the collapse of the Icelandic econ-
omy and two very serious volcanic eruptions in the past few
seasons, we have come through this challenging period stron-
ger than before. I have every reason to be optimistic about the
future with a workforce like that, and we intend to offer our
customers better services and greater value than ever before,”
says Jóhannsson.
FLy tHe
FriendLy skies
And more
Icelandair Group is by far
Iceland’s biggest tourist
company.
Björgólfur Jóhannsson, Icelandair Group President and CEO.
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