Icelandair pilot dispute moves forward despite complex talks

Negotiations between the Association of Icelandic Airline Pilots and Icelandair are moving in the right direction, although the dispute remains complicated, state mediator Ástráður Haraldsson told mbl.is.

“There is very little to report. This is continuing, nobody has slammed any doors, and work is being done,” Haraldsson said.

He described the negotiations as an ongoing dialogue in which no individual stages had yet been completed. The work has been divided into separate parts, which will be addressed one at a time.

“It is still a complicated and complex dispute, but there are active conversations,” Haraldsson said.

On June 16, Icelandair and the Association of Icelandic Airline Pilots issued a joint statement saying they had agreed to follow a work plan proposed by the state mediator under a peace obligation. The stated aim was to complete negotiations on a renewed collective agreement by September 15, 2026.

Asked about that deadline, Haraldsson said he did not remember such a goal.

“The main point is that, firstly, we do not know whether we will reach an agreement, and secondly, when that will happen,” he said.

Asked whether the mood among the negotiators had improved after the summer holiday, Haraldsson replied that it was “at least not worse.”

“Let us say we are moving in the right direction,” he said.