SAGA SHOP - Haust I Fall 2019

Icelandair Stopover 87 Icelandair Flies Fans to See Sheeran If you need more evidence of how passionate Icelanders are about music, consider the statistic that 50,000 people (or 1 in 7 of the Icelandic population) saw Ed Sheeran live in concert when he visited Reykjavík in August. Ed played two shows at the capital’s outdoor Laugardalsvöllur stadium on August 10 and 11, and the first show sold out in under three hours. Among the crowd were approximately 700 people from Europe and North America who purchased flight-and-concert packages from Icelandair (80% from North America, with Minneapolis sending the biggest repres- entation of fans). It highlights that Iceland is a great place for big-name artists to perform, and demonstrates the appeal for travelers of timing an Iceland visit with a concert or festival. Icelandair to Seattle: A 10-Year Success Story This year, Icelandair is celebrating 10 years of flight connections between Keflavík Interna- tional Airport (KEF) and Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA). Seattle has always been a great host to Icelandair, and we appreciate how welcome we have felt in this fun, creative, nature-surrounded city. The destination was launched during a major recession in 2009, and the following year, Eyjafjallajökull erupted, interrupting air travel the world over. Yet, the route proved an im- mediate success, and the number of weekly flights has shot up from four in 2009 to 14 in 2019. KEF-SEA is also the only Icelandair destination in western North America that enjoys double-daily summertime service. Did you know that Icelandair partners with MedAire, an international SOS company, to help our crew members respond to medical emergencies in-flight? Our crew have exten- sive first-aid training, and MedAire offers communication with medical professionals at any time of day, from anywhere in the world, for guidance and support. We are always looking for ways to improve our safety and service to passengers, so Icelandair is pleased to be the first airline in the world to use MedAire’s new app that will simplify and speed up communications. It’s a great addition to the resources available to staff should a medical emergency arise, thanks to its features and usability. Iceland Off to a Flying Start The Icelandic national team in women’s football got off to a flying start in the UEFA Women’s Europe 2021 qualifying by win- ning its first two games, both at home; 4–1 against Hungary on August 29 and 1–0 against Slovakia on September 2. The star of the show was 24-year-old striker Elín Metta Jensen, who scored two goals against Hungary and one against Slovakia. Iceland now has six points—a full house— and couldn’t have asked for a better start. Meanwhile, the UEFA Euro 2020 qualify- ing in men’s football is in full swing. Ice- land shot straight to the top of group H after a 3–0 victory against Moldova on Laugardagsvöllur stadium in Reykjavík on September 7. Kolbeinn Sigþórsson, Birkir Bjarnason and Jón Daði Böðvarsson scored for Iceland. However, in Albania on September 10, Iceland’s winning streak came to an end as the team lost 2–4. Iceland dropped to third place in group H and the stakes will be high in the home game against world champions France on October 11. Photo of Elín Metta by Hafliði Breiðfjörð / Football Association of Iceland. In Safe Hands with Icelandair and MedAire