Atlantic Airways
The national airline of the Faroe Islands, providing scheduled European air services, domestic helicopter transport, charter flights, and search-and-rescue capability.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
Atlantic Airways, also known by its Faroese name Atlantsflog, is the national airline of the Faroe Islands. Based at Vágar Airport on the island of Vágar, it provides scheduled international passenger services linking the archipelago with selected destinations in Denmark, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Norway, and other parts of Europe. It also operates domestic helicopter services that connect remote Faroese communities, many of which have limited or no practical road access and can otherwise be reached only by sea. The airline maintains an operational role in search and rescue, including a requirement to keep at least one helicopter available for that purpose. The carrier was established in 1987 in response to rising demand for reliable air links and dissatisfaction with the dependence of the Faroes on external operators. Its initial shareholders were the Faroese government, with a 51% stake, and Danish airline Cimber Air, with 49%. The Faroese government assumed full ownership in 1989. Atlantic Airways began flying scheduled services between Vágar and Copenhagen on 28 March 1988 with a British Aerospace 146. From the outset, the company was intended not only to provide commercial transportation but also to develop a local aviation capability, with Faroese flight crews and management and a dedicated maintenance base at Vágar. The business faced serious financial pressure during the Faroese economic crisis of the early 1990s. The government provided DKK 75 million in assistance in 1992, and the airline did not become profitable until 1995. It subsequently expanded its network through cooperation with Icelandair and by adding routes to destinations including Reykjavík, Narsarsuaq, Billund, Aberdeen, London, Oslo, and other Nordic and European cities. When Icelandair and Maersk Air ended their own regular services to the Faroes in 2004, Atlantic Airways became the only scheduled airline serving the islands. The company diversified into helicopters in 1994 when the existing Faroese helicopter operation was incorporated into Atlantic Airways. Its helicopter network serves settlements including Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Mykines, Suðuroy, Skúvoy, Stóra Dímun, Svínoy, and Fugloy on scheduled days. The service has both public-service and tourism functions, offering essential transport as well as aerial access to the islands' landscapes. Atlantic Airways modernized its fixed-wing fleet in the 2010s, introducing Airbus A319 aircraft in 2012 and later moving toward the Airbus A320 family. The transition required infrastructure work at Vágar Airport, including runway improvements. The airline entered the Iceland Stock Exchange in December 2007 after the Faroese government sold 33% of its holding, although a planned second-stage sale was cancelled during the global financial crisis. In 2015, Jóhanna á Bergi became chief executive and was described as the first woman to lead a Nordic airline. The COVID-19 pandemic caused the suspension of almost all routes in March 2020, with Copenhagen retained as the principal exception. Atlantic Airways later experimented with scheduled transatlantic service, launching a weekly route between the Faroe Islands and New York Stewart International Airport in August 2023 using an Airbus A320neo. That North American service was discontinued by November 2024. The airline's continuing role is therefore centered on maintaining the Faroes' international connectivity, operating domestic helicopter links, providing charter capacity, and supporting emergency aviation services.
History
Regular air links to the Faroe Islands existed before Atlantic Airways, including Icelandair services from 1963 and more frequent Copenhagen flights operated by Maersk Air from 1971. During the early 1980s, demand for a Faroese airline grew as passenger numbers increased and Maersk Air held a near-monopoly on scheduled service. Atlantic Airways was formed in 1987 as a joint venture between the Faroese government and Cimber Air. The government owned 51%, while Cimber Air held 49%. Full public ownership followed in 1989. The airline began scheduled operations on 28 March 1988, flying between Vágar and Copenhagen with a British Aerospace 146. The Faroese government built a hangar at Vágar Airport to give the new carrier a permanent operational and maintenance base. Developing a local aviation industry was a central objective: the airline was to provide an external connection for the islands while employing Faroese crews and management. Atlantic Airways' early years coincided with a severe economic depression in the Faroe Islands. The carrier required DKK 75 million in government assistance in 1992 and reached profitability only in 1995. Its network then expanded. Reykjavík services began in 1995 in cooperation with Icelandair, with seasonal cooperation also supporting flights to Narsarsuaq in Greenland. Billund and Aberdeen were added in the latter half of the decade. In 2000, a second BAe 146 increased capacity and supported the addition of London Stansted and Oslo. Later growth included routes to destinations such as Aalborg, Stavanger, Stord, Edinburgh, and the Shetland Islands. The airline also briefly operated a UK domestic route between Shetland and London; that activity ended in 2008. A major competitive change occurred in 2004, when Icelandair stopped operating its own flights to Vágar and Maersk Air also withdrew. Atlantic Airways consequently became the only regular scheduled operator serving the Faroe Islands. The company also consolidated local helicopter aviation. A Faroese commercial helicopter operation had developed during the 1980s after earlier government and Danish coast guard activities. In 1994, the helicopter department was brought into Atlantic Airways. The service became an important transport link for remote islands and also a tourism product. The airline is required to maintain search-and-rescue readiness. The company expanded and improved its financial position during the 2000s. It reported annual profits of approximately DKK 8–13 million from 2002 to 2007, while turnover increased from DKK 120 million in 1998 to DKK 520 million in 2006. In December 2007, 33% of the company was sold by the Faroese government and Atlantic Airways was admitted to trading on the Iceland Stock Exchange. A further sale planned for 2008 was cancelled amid the global financial crisis. Fleet modernization followed in the next decade. The first Airbus A319 entered service in March 2012, followed by two more in 2013. Vágar Airport required runway work to accommodate the larger aircraft. As A319 leases expired, the airline retained one aircraft and introduced a new Airbus A320. In 2015, Jóhanna á Bergi became chief executive. Atlantic Airways also sought to broaden its geographic reach: it moved Iceland operations to Keflavík in 2018 as its fleet transition created aircraft-size constraints at Reykjavík Airport, and it applied in December 2018 for authorization to operate commercial services to the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic severely disrupted operations. In March 2020, Atlantic Airways announced the suspension of all routes except Copenhagen for a period beginning 13 March. Following the pandemic, the airline pursued a limited transatlantic experiment. On 22 August 2023 it began a weekly nonstop service to Stewart International Airport in New York State using an Airbus A320neo, an unusual aircraft choice for transatlantic operations. The route was no longer operating by November 2024. Atlantic Airways remains focused on scheduled European connectivity, charter flying, domestic helicopter service, and emergency aviation support from Vágar.
- 2024
North American service ends
[1]Service to North America is discontinued by November.
- 2023
Launch of New York Stewart service
[1]The airline begins weekly scheduled service between the Faroe Islands and Stewart International Airport with an Airbus A320neo.
- 2020
Pandemic route suspension
[1]Most scheduled routes are suspended during the COVID-19 pandemic, while Copenhagen remains served.
- 2015
Jóhanna á Bergi becomes chief executive
[1]Jóhanna á Bergi takes over as CEO and is recognized as the first woman to lead a Nordic airline.
- 2012
First Airbus A319 enters service
[1]Atlantic Airways introduces its first Airbus A319 after runway improvements at Vágar Airport.
- 2007
Partial privatization and stock-market listing
[1]The Faroese government sells 33% of Atlantic Airways, with trading beginning on the Iceland Stock Exchange on 10 December.
- 2004
Becomes the sole scheduled operator to the Faroes
[1]Icelandair and Maersk Air end their own regular services, leaving Atlantic Airways as the only scheduled operator serving the islands.
- 1995
Profitability and Reykjavík service
[1]The airline becomes profitable and launches Reykjavík flights in cooperation with Icelandair.
- 1994
Helicopter operation joins Atlantic Airways
[1]The previously separate Faroese helicopter operation becomes part of Atlantic Airways.
- 1992
Government support during economic crisis
[1]Atlantic Airways receives DKK 75 million in government assistance during the Faroese economic depression.
Products and positioning
The Faroe Islands' national carrier and essential connectivity provider, combining international passenger flights with inter-island helicopter transport and public-service aviation.
International air transport · 1988
Scheduled passenger flights
Atlantic Airways operates scheduled passenger services from Vágar Airport to selected destinations in the Faroe Islands' principal European markets. The network has historically included Denmark, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Norway, and other European destinations. The airline's scheduled network is the core of its national-carrier role, providing regular external access for residents, businesses, and visitors.
Domestic aviation · 1994
Domestic helicopter services
The helicopter division provides scheduled inter-island transport to communities that are difficult to reach by road and may otherwise depend on marine links. Services operate on specified days to destinations including Tórshavn, Klaksvík, Mykines, Suðuroy, Skúvoy, Stóra Dímun, Svínoy, and Fugloy. Flights serve residents and visitors, while the division also supports the airline's emergency and search-and-rescue responsibilities.
Charter air transport
Charter operations
Atlantic Airways operates charter flights for Danish tour operators, serving leisure destinations in countries such as Italy, Portugal, Croatia, Greece, Bulgaria, France, Scotland, Norway, and the Czech Republic. Charter flying complements the scheduled network and uses departure points including Copenhagen and Billund.
Emergency aviation
Search-and-rescue aviation
Atlantic Airways has a public-service aviation role in the Faroe Islands. Its operating obligations include keeping at least one helicopter ready for search-and-rescue duties. This capability extends the significance of the helicopter division beyond commercial passenger transportation.
Brand decisions
2023
Launch of weekly transatlantic serviceProduct launchBackground
Atlantic Airways sought to expand the Faroes' direct international connectivity and test a transatlantic market.
Action taken
On 22 August 2023, the airline began weekly nonstop flights between the Faroe Islands and Stewart International Airport near New York using an Airbus A320neo.
Aftermath
The North American service was discontinued by November 2024, with no announced restart plan.
2020
COVID-19 operational suspensionStrategyBackground
Pandemic restrictions sharply reduced demand and constrained international travel.
Action taken
The airline suspended all routes from 13 March to 13 April except the Copenhagen route.
Aftermath
The suspension temporarily reduced the network to an essential international connection while wider services were disrupted.
2018
Move of Iceland operations to KeflavíkStrategyBackground
The airline's transition from Airbus A319 aircraft created operating constraints at Reykjavík Airport.
Action taken
Atlantic Airways moved its Iceland services to Keflavík International Airport.
Aftermath
The change aligned the Iceland operation with the aircraft types being introduced into the fleet.
2012
Transition to Airbus A319 and A320 aircraftGeneration changeBackground
Network growth and the need for larger, more modern aircraft led Atlantic Airways to move beyond its BAe 146 fleet.
Action taken
The airline introduced its first Airbus A319 in 2012, added two more in 2013, and later incorporated a new Airbus A320 as leases expired.
Aftermath
Vágar Airport required runway improvements, and the modernized fleet supported the airline's European network and later transatlantic experiment.
2007
Partial privatization and listingM&ABackground
After years of public ownership, the Faroese government pursued privatization while retaining majority control.
Action taken
The government sold 33% of Atlantic Airways, and the shares began trading on the Iceland Stock Exchange on 10 December 2007.
Aftermath
A planned additional sale in 2008 was cancelled because of the global financial crisis.
Sources2 sources
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