MPs must be a part of the solution

The people of Westfjords are not happy after Icelandair announced that the company intends to stop flying to Ísafjörður.

Mayor Sigríður Júlía Brynleifsdóttir said in an interview with mbl.is that a meeting with the company has already been requested. “Flight is the only public transport we have.”

According to Brynleifsdóttir, no direct conversations took place with Icelandair about the airline’s intentions until yesterday, when she was informed in a phone call that it was expected that flights would cease after the 2026 summer season.

“So I was informed before the news appeared in the media.”

The mayor says that the reports initially came as a surprise “but then when you start thinking about it, it may well be something that you should have expected to happen,” she says.

No public transportation available

Brynleifsdóttir will meet with Icelandair next week along with the mayor of Bolungarvík, the mayor of Súðavík, and representatives of the Westfjords Regional Association.

"We need to work together to find some solutions because there is no way that there is no public transportation to the Westfjords.

We are just going into this project to find solutions, whether it is with Icelandair or someone else. We have a year and a half to find solutions if the news is anything to go by."

She says people use air transportation. Among other things, they seek medical services. "The administrative office is in Reykjavík, we often have meetings there and then we fly in the morning and back in the evening."

MPs must not be left with no responsibilities

Brynleifsdóttir is optimistic and says that there can often be various opportunities in opposition. They just need to be spotted. However, she says that it is not possible to just jump in without much consideration. Everyone involved in the matter needs to have thought everything through.

“Then our MPs must assist us in this matter, they must not be left with no responsibilities,” she says.

She says that Arna Lára Jónsdóttir, a member of parliament for the Social Democratic Party, is from Ísafjörður and Eyjólfur Ármannsson, Minister of Transport and Local Government and a member of parliament for the People's Party, has a legal address in the municipality. Then Lilja Rafney Magnúsdóttir, a member of parliament for the People's Party, is from Suðureyri and María Rut Kristinsdóttir, a member of parliament for Viðreisn, is from Flateyri.

“This is a joint project of all of us.”