Icelandair Delays 2019 Service Out of Cleveland Until May

As Cleveland digests the news that WOW Air will permanently end service out of Hopkins next week, another bit of bad news for local travelers.

Icelandair, the other budget-operator that debuted direct trans-Atlantic flights out Cleveland in May, announced that its plans to resume springtime service out of the airport will be pushed back from March 2019 to May 2019. The last flights until then take off at the end of this month.

"We are committed to making Cleveland a success and will continue to review what schedule works best for our network and our customers," a spokesperson told the PD. "The loads outside of summer still do not appear to warrant year-round service, yet."

The arrival of the Iceland-based carriers was celebrated earlier this year, and Cleveland offered $1 million in incentives to each to assist with marketing, but it was probably foolish to think they'd both last.

WOW had planned on pausing service for the winter months before announcing it was withdrawing from the market entirely this week. Icelandair said in September it would run year-round flights before quickly changing course, targeting a March 22 date of springtime travel. The new date is May 16.

Folks who booked flights between those dates will be offered refunds or alternative travel through other connections.