Iceland is a gorgeous country that’s well worth a visit, but flying there typically isn’t very luxurious. Outside of seasonal flights on some carriers from the United States, there’s not much flat bed service to the country (Icelandair’s premium cabin is more comparable to domestic first class in the US).
Well, that’s finally set to change, as Air China is launching flights to Iceland… and you don’t even have to be coming from China to take the flight!
Air China adds Copenhagen to Keflavik fifth freedom flight
Air China plans to launch flights to Iceland, making it the first Asian carrier to serve the country. The flight won’t be nonstop from China, but instead, will be a “direct” fifth freedom route. Specifically as of October 26, 2026, the airline plans to launch 3x weekly flights from Beijing (PEK) to Copenhagen (CPH) to Keflavik (KEF), with the following schedule:
CA807 Beijing to Copenhagen departing 3:30AM arriving 6:30AM
CA807 Copenhagen to Keflavik departing 8:45AM arriving 11:15AM
CA808 Keflavik to Copenhagen departing 1:45PM arriving 5:55PM
CA808 Copenhagen to Beijing departing 8:30PM arriving 12:20PM (+1 day)
Air China will use an Airbus A330-300 for the route, featuring 301 seats, including 30 business class seats and 271 economy class seats. Business class is in a 2-2-2 configuration, with flat beds.
While the entire journey between Beijing and Keflavik covers a distance of 5,820 miles, the journey between Copenhagen and Keflavik covers a distance of 1,337 miles. This is a fifth freedom flight, so Air China has both pickup and drop-off rights, meaning you can fly the airline exclusively between the two countries.
I’m actually shocked it took this long for an airline from China to fly to Iceland. During my visit late last year, I was surprised by the high percentage of visitors who seemed to be from China, given the lack of direct service.
This is the most luxurious year-round way to fly to Iceland
Typically when people think of “luxury” airlines, Air China isn’t the first carrier that comes to mind. However, I think it’s interesting to note that Air China will be the only airline to offer year-round service to Iceland on a plane with flat beds.
We see seasonal flights to Iceland with flat beds (particularly on airlines from the United States), but that’s it. I’d definitely be interested in taking this flight between Copenhagen and Keflavik in the future, especially if the fare is right, or if there’s award availability. Talk about an unexpected way to fly between those two destinations!
Bottom line
Air China is launching service to Iceland, thanks to a new Beijing to Copenhagen to Keflavik route. The new service will launch in late October 2026, and will be operated by an Airbus A330, with flat beds in business class.
It’s not surprising to finally see a link between China and Iceland, given visitor numbers. Even for the rest of us, Air China offers a nice ride between Denmark and Iceland, so I look forward to taking this flight at some point.
What do you make of Air China’s new Iceland service?
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