Reykjavík residents were treated to an unusually high level of jet trails in the sky over the weekend. The reason was that beneficial high altitude winds resulted in an unusually heavy air traffic above Iceland over the weekend, while clear skies allowed this traffic to be visible from the ground. The local newspaper Morgunblaðið reports that more than 700 planes flew over Reykjavík over the weekend as airlines crossing the Atlantic from Europe to N. America took advantage of winds blowing west.
The Icelandic air traffic control area is 5.4 million square kilometres (2.1 million square miles), making it one of the largest in the world. Roughly 25% of all flights between Europe and N. America pass through the Icelandic control area.
According to statistics from Isavia, which manages air traffic in the Icelandic control area, traffic in the control area increased by 11.5% in 2015. Due to prevailing winds most of this traffic was westbound, 64% flying from Europe to N. America and only 36% flying eastbound. The most common route for planes using the Icelandic air control area in 2015 was London-Los Angeles (2,581 planes), followed by London-Keflavík (2,232) and Keflavík-London (2,186).
The seven airlines which flew most trips through the Icelandic control area were Icelandair, followed by United Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways and SAS.
Reykjavík residents were treated to an unusually high level of jet trails in the sky over the weekend. The reason was that beneficial high altitude winds resulted in an unusually heavy air traffic above Iceland over the weekend, while clear skies allowed this traffic to be visible from the ground. The local newspaper Morgunblaðið reports that more than 700 planes flew over Reykjavík over the weekend as airlines crossing the Atlantic from Europe to N. America took advantage of winds blowing west.
The Icelandic air traffic control area is 5.4 million square kilometres (2.1 million square miles), making it one of the largest in the world. Roughly 25% of all flights between Europe and N. America pass through the Icelandic control area.
According to statistics from Isavia, which manages air traffic in the Icelandic control area, traffic in the control area increased by 11.5% in 2015. Due to prevailing winds most of this traffic was westbound, 64% flying from Europe to N. America and only 36% flying eastbound. The most common route for planes using the Icelandic air control area in 2015 was London-Los Angeles (2,581 planes), followed by London-Keflavík (2,232) and Keflavík-London (2,186).
The seven airlines which flew most trips through the Icelandic control area were Icelandair, followed by United Airlines, Delta, Emirates, Lufthansa, British Airways and SAS.
