The Reykjavik Control Area’s traffic pattern can be divided into five main traffic flows:
- International flights from Iceland to Europe and North America
- Traffic between Europe and North America. Most of this traffic follows routes requested by pilots and airlines with regard to favourable high-altitude winds, which means that the traffic volume and routing can vary from day to day.
- Traffic between the Middle East and North America
- Traffic between North America and the Far East
- Traffic within the domestic area and between Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe Islands.
The largest traffic flow segment is between Europe and North America. Daytime traffic consists of flights from Europe to the United States, with opposite traffic at night-time. This creates two main peak periods for the Reykjavik Area Control Center at around 14:00 and 04:00 hrs.
