Union leader warns Westfjords flights could disappear

Finnbogi Sveinbjörnsson, chair of the Westfjords Labour Union, says fewer scheduled flights to Ísafjörður and Bíldudalur could lead residents to stop relying on air travel and eventually leave the routes unsustainable. He also opposes planned changes to Loftbrú, the flight subsidy scheme, and wants the current arrangement kept in place, mbl.is reports.

Finnbogi says air links are especially important because health services in the Westfjords have been reduced. Union members often fly to the capital area for medical care, he said. The union’s board of representatives has urged the government to increase scheduled flights to both towns and abandon the planned Loftbrú changes.

Finnbogi said the pattern seen elsewhere is that flights are cut gradually until people no longer trust the service, after which it is discontinued. With frequent enough flights, passengers can travel south in the morning for medical appointments and return later that day or the following day, limiting time away from work.

He called air travel a lifeline given the limited local health services. The union offers members gift vouchers for Icelandair flights to reduce travel costs, and demand for them is high. Finnbogi said Icelandair staff had also told him that the number of regular passengers tends to rise when flight frequency increases.

He said the combination of reduced air services and health care affects whether people can continue living in the Westfjords. Families with chronically ill members or children who need regular care outside the region may decide to move, he said. He pointed to reduced maternity services: families in the southern Westfjords may need to stay in the capital area for two to three weeks around a birth.

The union has built accommodation for members south of the highlands, including eight apartments in the capital area, to help meet these needs, Finnbogi said. He said this expansion would not have been necessary without the lack of flights and local health services.

Under the proposed Loftbrú changes, the current 40 per cent discount on airfares would be replaced by a fixed fare subsidy. Finnbogi wants the existing subsidy arrangement to remain unchanged.