On February 26, 2026, heavy storms caused significant disruptions at Keflavík International Airport, leading to the diversion of fifteen Icelandair flights to alternative airports including Akureyri. Eight Icelandair passenger jets successfully landed at Akureyri, but four of these experienced issues as their crews exceeded the maximum allowable working hours. Consequently, approximately six hundred passengers aboard these four planes were stranded while new crews were dispatched from Reykjavík to manage the flights' return to Keflavík.

The situation escalated as the severe weather conditions impacted roughly two thousand passengers across multiple flights. The airline faced an operational challenge, having to redirect fifteen flights to Akureyri, Egilsstaðir, and the emergency landing locations in Reykjavík, which were primarily necessitated by a sudden storm that hit Keflavík during the afternoon hours. As the affected crews were unable to operate after their shifts, the airline needed to ensure that new teams arrived safely and promptly to mitigate the fallout from the storm-related delays.

This incident not only highlights the operational complexities airlines face during adverse weather but also poses broader implications for customer satisfaction and airline reputation. With a significant number of travelers affected, Icelandair will need to address the service challenges arising from this situation and manage the expectations of the stranded passengers, as well as those affected by the flight diversions throughout the day, which raised concerns over how well airlines can cope with unexpected weather phenomena in Iceland's rapidly changing climate.