Flugfélag Íslands in the early decades Icelandair

the first flugfélag Íslands douglas dc-4, dubbed gullfaxi, arriving @ london heathrow airport in june 1953

icelandair traces roots 1937, when flugfélag akureyrar founded in akureyri on north coast of iceland. flight operations started in 1938 single floatplane of type waco yks-7. in 1939 airline grounded when aircraft destroyed in capsizing accident. company moved reykjavík, acquired waco aircraft , re-launched in 1940 flugfélag Íslands, translates flight company of iceland. previously, 2 unrelated airlines of same name had existed in country (from 1919 1920, , between 1928 , 1931). international purposes, name iceland airways adopted.

the fleet expanded beechcraft model 18 in 1942; , 2 de havilland dragon rapides , consolidated pby catalina in 1944, latter being first ever aircraft registered in iceland flown iceland icelandic crew north america. on 11 july 1945, aircraft operated first commercial flight on atlantic ocean airline, led reykjavík largs in scotland, 4 passengers , 4 crew members on board. regular flights prestwick airport in scotland , copenhagen in denmark, using consolidated b-24 liberator aircraft leased scottish airlines launched in 1946.

in same year, comfort , performance of domestic flights in iceland improved introduction of douglas dc-3. total of 6 airliners of type had been purchased, remained in service airline until 1972, oldest 1 being still flightworthy of 2011. until late 1960s, flugfélag concentrated on domestic flights, faced fierce competition loftleiðir, airline had been founded in 1944. when merger proposal of icelandic government rejected 2 airlines, domestic routes split among them measure ease competition. when loftleiðir pulled out of domestic market in 1952 concentrate on international flights, flugfélag became main domestic carrier of country.

icelandair vickers viscount @ london heathrow airport in 1962

international services stayed part of business model of flugfélag, though far lesser extent compared loftleiðir. in 1948, douglas c-54 skymaster introduced on routes, , in 1957 2 new vickers 759 viscounts acquired, first turboprop airliners operated icelandic airline. in 1950s, flugfélag began use icelandair branding international flights.

in 1967, flugfélag first icelandic airline join jet age, when boeing 727-100 dubbed gullfaxi put service. 727 acquired in 1971, , aircraft type operated until 1990. in 2008, cockpit section of gullfaxi put on display @ akureyri aviation museum.