is an
Airline based in
Kópavogur ,
Reykjavík ,
Iceland . It specialises in leasing aircraft on an ACMI (Aircraft, Crews, Maintenance, Insurance)/
Wet Lease basis to airlines worldwide needing extra passenger and cargo capacity. It also operates charter services for Icelandic tour operators. Its main base is
Keflavík International Airport 1.
The airline was established on
10 February 1986 by Captain Arngrimur Johannsson and his wife, Thora Gudmundsdottir. It started operations in 1986. Their first contract came when
Caribbean Airways wet-leased a
Douglas DC-8 from them for their
London to
Barbados flights. In 1988, the airline leased planes for
Air Afrique to be used during the
Hajj pilmigrage trips. This would become an important part of the structure of Air Atlanta later on.
Sudan Airways and
Lufthansa were among the other airlines that benefited from leasing passenger airplanes from Air Atlanta Icelandic during the late 1980s, as well as
Finnair , which leased a
Boeing 737 from the Icelandic company
It was in 1992 that Air Atlanta Icelandic was able to take passengers to the sky with their own airline operation. Their first flight was with a
Lockheed L-1011 plane. Later in 1992, Air Atlanta Icelandic participated in the
United Nations peacekeepers airlifting, flying the UN representants from
Former Yugoslavia to
Nigeria and
France .
In 1993, the
Boeing 747 arrived, and
Saudi Arabian Airlines became one of the first airlines to lease that plane from Air Atlanta Icelandic, also for hajj flights. And, after signing a contract with
Samvinn Travel , Air Atlanta Icelandic began operating domestic charter flights too. Later, in 1993, a flight from
Phnom Penh to
Bangkok was launched, using a Boeing 737.
By 1994, Air Atlanta Icelandic had obtained rights to operate service from many other international countries, including the
United States , from where they had a flight to
Colombia , and the
Philippines , where they were allowed to operate domestic charter flights. About that time, they began to offer flights within Europe for free and began service to
Portugal .
In 1996 a couple rented an Air Atlanta Icelandic L-1011 to have a sky-wedding. The couple and their wedding guests were treated to a flight over the Arctic Circle, while the wedding was performed inside the jet.
1997 saw the arrival of contracts with such airlines as
Britannia Airways and
Iberia , which would use an Air Atlanta Icelandic plane for its routes from
Barajas International Airport in
Madrid to
José Martí International Airport in
Havana and to other points in the
Caribbean . That year also saw the arrival of the airline's first Boeing 747SP plane, which would later be utilized by government officials, sports teams and
The Rolling Stones , among others.
In 1998, Air Atlanta Icelandic leased planes for
British Airways , and in 1999
Magnus G. Thorstenn was named the company's new CEO. In 1999 also, the airline became a fully wide bodied airplane airline, when they sold the last of their Boeing 737's. In year
2000 ,
Air India joined the growing list of other airlines that have leased airplanes from Air Atlanta Icelandic airlines.
Air Atlanta Icelandic still leases their jets to a number of airlines, while providing their own airline flights, taking passengers to such places as
Puerto Rico ,
Kenya ,
Cuba ,
Barcelona and the rest of Europe on charter flights.
In 2003 Air Atlanta Icelandic expanded into the
United Kingdom with their subsidiary,
Air Atlanta Europe who operated
Boeing 747 's ad-hoc, charter and for Florida tour operator
Travel City Direct .
In March 2004 the company acquired a 40.5% stake in the UK charter airline
Excel Airways , later increased to 76.9%. In January 2005 the Avion Group was formed and Air Atlanta Icelandic and Islandflug merged under the Air Atlanta Icelandic brand name.
In 2005 The Avion Group acquired
Eimskip , a leading Icelandic sea transportation company and a UK holiday company, Travel City Direct. In 2006 The Avion Group announced the purchase of the entire issued share capital of French charter airline
Star Airlines , the second largest charter airline in the French market. Star Airlines operates charter flights mainly to destinations in Africa, The Middle East, and the Mediterranean. Star Airlines operates scheduled flights, in addition to charter services to the Lebanon, Mali and Mexico.
In October 2006 the Avion Group changed its name to HF Eimskipafélag Íslands and at the same time sold UK Leisure Group, Excel, as well as 51% of Avion Aircraft Trading.
Air Atlanta Icelandic operates services to the following international scheduled destinations (at March 2007):
London ,
Manchester and
Orlando ,
Anchorage, Alaska .
The Air Atlanta Icelandic fleet has reduced considerably since 2005 and includes the following aircraft (at April 2007) :
