WOW air: the fast-growing Icelandic LCC starts new widebody services to US West Coast

The rapidly growing Icelandic LCC WOW air began a new chapter in its short history on 9-Jun-2016. Just over four years after its inaugural flight - from Reykjavik to Paris on 31-May-2012 - the airline has launched its first widebody service from Reykjavik to San Francisco. This route will be joined on 15-Jun-2016 by a Los Angeles service, also deploying A330-300 aircraft and taking its North American network to six destinations.

With 20 European destinations it is developing a role as a provider of low cost trans-Atlantic connecting services to sit alongside its point-to-point offering. In this respect it is providing growing competition to its larger compatriot Icelandair, which is also growing fast (and profitably).

However for now, at least, there appears to be room for both: Icelandair is not present on 12 of WOW air's European city pairs, or on three of its North American routes. Certainly the North Atlantic needs new competition, and both Icelandic airlines are helping to provide it.