New Icelandair Gdańsk Flights Link Poland to Iceland and North America

Icelandair has added Poland to its network for the first time. The first of the new Icelandair Gdańsk flights, between Keflavík International Airport and Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, departed on 18 September 2026, opening a direct link between northern Poland and Iceland with onward connections across the North Atlantic.

Passengers on the first flights were welcomed with celebrations at both airports, marking the start of a service that will operate three to four times a week. The launch makes Gdańsk the first Polish airport to receive scheduled Icelandair service, according to the route announcement carried by Travel PR News.

What the new route means for travellers

The new Icelandair Gdańsk flights give travellers in northern Poland a nonstop link to Iceland for the first time, plus one-stop options through the carrier's Keflavík hub to destinations across the United States and Canada. Onward connections highlighted by the airline and airport include New York, Chicago, Miami, Toronto and Vancouver.

For Polish travellers, the route offers a new way west without routing through a larger continental European hub. That matters for anyone planning a trip to North America who wants fewer legs and a simpler itinerary. Icelandair's connecting model is built for exactly this kind of trip: one airline, one hub, and a straightforward transfer at Keflavík.

For Icelandic and North American visitors, the launch opens a direct door to Gdańsk and the wider Tricity area, including Sopot and Gdynia — a region known for its restored historic centre, waterfront, museums and maritime history. It is a city-break proposition that has been steadily gaining visibility with international travellers.

Schedule and aircraft details

Gdańsk Airport's published timetable shows the route initially operating on Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, with a fourth Saturday service added from 25 October through 15 March, taking the frequency to four weekly during much of the winter season. Icelandair's current schedule lists the route through 31 May 2027.

The outbound service leaves Keflavík at 7:20 a.m. and arrives in Gdańsk at 11:55 a.m., with the return departing Gdańsk at 12:50 p.m. and touching down in Iceland at 3:50 p.m. Those times make a same-day onward connection at Keflavík realistic in both directions, which is central to how Icelandair sells its network.

The route is being operated with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, according to Gdańsk Airport. The single-aisle type is the workhorse of Icelandair's European network, suited to routes that need regular frequency without wide-body capacity.

Why Gdańsk is a smart bet for the airline

The airport at the Polish end of the route is in growth mode. Gdańsk Airport handled almost 3.7 million passengers in the first half of 2026, up 11 percent on the same period in 2025, according to its latest traffic update — giving the new service a sizeable regional catchment.

There is also a community dimension that rarely shows up in route announcements but often underpins them. Poland has a significant expatriate population in Iceland, and Gdańsk Airport said when the route was first announced that the direct connection should make it easier for people in both countries to visit relatives and maintain cross-border ties.

Tourism demand in the region has been climbing as well. Gdańsk combines a rebuilt old town and waterfront with cultural attractions, while nearby Sopot and Gdynia add beach access and a broader Tricity offering. Icelandair's own destination page for Gdańsk promotes the city around its maritime history, architecture and old-town streets — a signal the airline sees inbound leisure demand, not just Polish travellers heading west.

How the route fits Icelandair's playbook

Icelandair has built its network around Keflavík's position between Europe and North America, funnelling passengers between regional European cities and North American destinations through a single hub. Gdańsk becomes another European spoke feeding that hub, joining the airline's wider Europe-to-North America connecting model.

Tomas Ingason, Icelandair's chief commercial officer, said the airline sees opportunities in both direct and connecting traffic and described Poland as an important new market for the carrier. Iwona Tomczyńska, Gdańsk Airport's director of economic analysis and marketing, said the route gives travellers from the Pomerania region access not only to Iceland but also to onward North American connections through Keflavík.

For Icelandair, the launch adds another European spoke feeding its Keflavík hub at a time when the airline continues to balance local Iceland traffic with transfer passengers travelling between Europe and North America. The route's winter frequency bump to four weekly suggests the carrier expects solid demand through the peak season.

What to know if you are booking

The service is bookable now for travel from 18 September 2026 through 31 May 2027. Because the route is new, early availability should be the widest — and promotional fares often accompany inaugural services as airlines build awareness.

If you are connecting onward through Keflavík on one of the new Icelandair Gdańsk flights, check the total journey time against alternatives through other hubs; the selling point of the Icelandair model is a simple single-carrier transfer, which can mean fewer delays from separate bookings and checked-through baggage. And if Poland is the destination rather than the departure point, the new flight is now the most direct option from Iceland — and a one-stop alternative from several North American cities.

More details on the timetable and bookings are available in the original Travel PR News report on the launch.