Signs will soon have Icelandic first at the Keflavík Airport

Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Culture …

Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir, the Minister of Tourism, Trade and Culture has been a staunch supporter for the Icelandic language at the Keflavík Airport as elsewhere. Samsett mynd

"I am very happy with the decicion of the board on Isavia to put Icelandic first," says Lilja Dögg Alfreðsdóttir Minister of Tourism, Trade and Culture and adds that it was about time.

The board of Isavia agreed esterday to put Icelandic first when it comes to all signs and information on the airport at Keflavík as well as their other airports when they start renewing all signs at the airports. There will still be information in English, but the top language will be Icelandic.

Followed up on the matter after Iceland made a change

Lilja has been a staunch spokesperson for keeping Icelandic alive,especially after she became the Minister of Education, Science and Culture in 2017 and ever since.

Keflavík Airport.

Keflavík Airport. Kristinn Magnússon

"I did question putting English first on all signs and when Icelandair decided to change their focus and put the Icelandic language first, I followed up on the matter," and is referring to Icelandair deciding to greet all their passengers first in Icelandic.

Icelandair staff now greets its guests first in Icelandic

Bogi Nils Bogason, the CEO of Icelandair has said that the decision to make Icelandic again the prime language for the airline was made after a meeting with Alfreðsdóttir.

"I head from a new member on the board of Isavia. He picked up the torch for the Icelandic language at a boardmeeting and I am thrilled that the board made this deciscion yesterday," says Alfreðsdóttir.

She thanks the board member for Isavia, Kristján Þór Júlíusson, especially for taking the lead in the matter.

Here is what was booked at the Isavia board meeting regarding this matter:

"People have suggested to us to change and we have been criticized in the media, and from the board of the Icelandic Language Committee in 2016 and 2017 about changing our first language to Icelandic on signs and in our information material at the Keflavík Airport. We had a discussion on the matter in 2018. In the last few days this critique has resurfaced again.

Based on this matter the board of Isavia agrees on the following:

Right now we are changing and developing the Keflavík Airport. In accordance with that work the board of Isavia ohf. has decided to start planning the renewal of all signs at the Airport in steps in the coming months. In the coming work we have decided to put the Icelandic language  as the first language on all signs and information materials for the Airport."

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