Icelandair has announced a new seasonal service from its hub in Reykjavik, Iceland to its newest North American gateway: Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina (RDU).

The new route will operate four times a week beginning May 12th, on Tuesday, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays on a 160-seat Boeing 737 Max-8.

“We are excited to add Raleigh-Durham to our extensive route network, offering non-stop flights from North Carolina to Iceland with convenient connections to our many destinations in Europe,” said Bogi Nils Bogason, chief executive of Icelandair.

“North Carolina is an exciting new destination, to visit as a tourist or in relation to the world class university community and the strong high-tech industry.”

The new service to RDU provides European travellers with an easy connection to the US through North Carolina and allows passengers to take an Icelandair stopover no additional airfare.

“This exciting announcement signals that demand for international travel is increasing as we head into the new year and a new phase of recovery,” said Michael Landguth, chief executive of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority.

“Icelandair will help meet that growing demand by offering leisure and business travellers nonstop service to a new destination and global connections to major cities on both sides of the Atlantic.”