Traveling should be fun, but sometimes getting to your destination is difficult.
That’s especially true when an airline cancels anticipated flights. Unfortunately, route changes happen all the time as airlines weigh their profitability and choose which destinations they continue to fly to.
For example, one major airline has been making some big changes. After careful evaluation, the airline has reportedly decided to suspend all flights to a major U.S. airport.
This will be disappointing to U.S. travelers who are hoping to get to and from the destination this airline serves.
Some of the areas affected by the flight cancellations have no other planes flying direct to the destination. Plus, the cut routes are part of a larger pattern of flight cancellations that could affect as many as 20 million travelers.
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This airline has canceled many flights
The airline that has canceled flights is Icelandair. Unsurprisingly, given its name, Icelandair transports passengers from the U.S. to Iceland. In fact, according to Simple Flying, the U.S. is the airline’s top country that travels to and from its hub in Keflavik.
However, Icelandair announced recently that some flights would be canceled permanently. Specifically, all flights to Detroit have been removed. The change is taking place in 2026.
According to Simply Flying, this decision is a monumental one because it is the first time since 2020 that the company has exited an airport entirely. It’s a big shift, as Icelandair had planned flights to and from this airport up to five times weekly.
Icelandair has pulled out of 10 U.S. airports
Icelandair’s decision to pull out of Detroit Airport is not unprecedented. Unfortunately, the carrier has exited many airports in the United States. As Simple Flying stated:
Since 1990, the DOT indicates that Iceland’s flag carrier has ceased passenger flights to ten U.S. airports.
Losing all of these flights makes life harder for travelers and impacts millions.
In fact, DOT data shows that between 1990 and 2024, Icelandair carried 19.74 million passengers. All of those travelers who wish to revisit the area could be affected as the airline pulls out of destinations to which it previously flew.
These are the airports Icelandair still serves
The airports that Icelandair pulled out of between 1990 and today include:
- Anchorage
- Cleveland
- Dallas/Fort Worth
- Detroit
- Fort Lauderdale
- Kansas City
- Philadelphia
- Sanford (near Orlando)
- San Francisco
- Tampa
These areas are geographically diverse, so people from all over the U.S. now have fewer options to get to Iceland.
Icelandair is adding some flights to other airports
While Icelandair is canceling its Detroit routes, it is also expanding its operations in other areas. In fact, it has announced that it will begin flying to Miami International Airport from Iceland this year.
Miami Airport shared the exciting news, stating:
Icelandair announced today that it will launch its first-ever service between its hub at Keflavik International Airport in Reykjavik and Miami International Airport on October 26, 2025, with three weekly flights, creating the only nonstop connection between Iceland’s magical glaciers and Miami’s sunny beaches. The 7.40-hour flight will be operated with Airbus A321LR aircraft that seat 187 passengers, 22 of which are Saga Premium seats and 165 are Economy.
Related: Southwest Airlines adds another new rule making travel harder
Officials were happy with the announcement, with Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava stating:
I applaud Icelandair for deciding to expand into South Florida with nonstop Reykjavik service at MIA, which will soon give our residents direct access to the majestic natural beauty of Iceland. We look forward to giving Icelandair and their passengers from across Europe a warm welcome to Miami-Dade County.
Still, the new Miami flight won’t help those in the Detroit area or in any of the other areas where flights have been canceled, and there’s no longer a good way to get to the popular Northern lights destination that Iceland has become.
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Please make a free appointment with TheStreet’s Travel Agent Partner, Postcard Travel, or email Amy Post at amypost@postcardtravelplanning.com or call or text her at 386-383-2472.
Related: Allegiant Airlines cancels all flights to major airport in 2026
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