This year marks 75 years since the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) and Iceland entered into a cooperation agreement for international air services.
Isavia ANS is responsible for air traffic control and air navigation services in domestic and international flights over the North Atlantic. The Icelandic airspace encompasses one of the largest air traffic control areas in the world, covering over 5.4 million square kilometers. The airspace extends from the Greenwich meridian to the east and west of Greenland, from the North Pole to the south of the Faroe Islands, and along the route to Scotland. Approximately a quarter of the air traffic crossing the North Atlantic passes through Icelandic airspace.
To commemorate the 75th anniversary of the agreement and the presence of the ICAO committee responsible for Iceland's cooperation with the organization, an event was held on October 18th at the Isavia ANS headquarters in the air traffic control center at Nauthólsvegur.
Kjartan Briem, CEO of Isavia ANS, welcomed the guests, and Jón Gunnar Jónsson, director of the Transport Authority, addressed the attendees. Ásgeir Pálsson, former CEO of Isavia ANS, discussed the history of the cooperation with ICAO and the financial committee of the organization, the Joint Support Committee.
Christian Schleifer, Chairman of the JSC, addressed the gathering and, along with Kjartan, unveiled a memento commemorating the partnership over the past 75 years.