Filipino travelers could eventually have more flight options to Iceland and the Nordic region after the Philippines and Iceland signed their first air services agreement, allowing airlines from each country to operate up to seven passenger and cargo flights a week.

The Department of Transportation (DOTr) said Thursday that the agreement, reached after air negotiations in Reykjavik early this week, gives carriers from both countries traffic rights to establish and develop services based on demand and commercial viability.

The deal, however, does not immediately launch daily or direct flights between the Philippines and Iceland. 

Current flight information shows no nonstop Manila-Reykjavik service, meaning passengers typically travel through connecting hubs.

Instead, the agreement provides the regulatory framework for airlines to explore direct or connecting services, potentially giving travelers more options to reach Iceland and providing another gateway to the Nordic market.

The initial Air Services Agreement was signed by Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs Assistant Secretary Edgar Badajos and Sigríður Eysteinsdóttir, director and chief negotiator for air services agreements at Iceland’s Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez said the agreement lays the groundwork for closer aviation ties between the two countries.

"This Agreement will serve as the foundation for our future air transportation relationship and will provide our airlines with a framework to explore new opportunities for connectivity between our two countries and, ultimately, between our respective regions,” Lopez said.

“We are not simply concluding our first air negotiations. We are opening a new chapter in Philippine-Iceland relations in the field of civil aviation,” he added.

Under the agreement, the Philippines and Iceland will each be entitled to seven flights a week, or the equivalent of one flight a day, for passenger and cargo services.

The traffic rights give airlines greater flexibility to establish routes between the two countries depending on market demand and whether the services are commercially viable.

Eysteinsdóttir, who headed the Icelandic delegation, welcomed the outcome of the negotiations.

“I would like to thank you all for the warm, friendly, and constructive spirit in which our discussions have taken place. We are very pleased with what we have achieved together. Our discussions have helped us to better understand each other’s priorities and find a way forward,” Eysteinsdóttir said.

The DOTr said it will continue working with its Icelandic counterpart and aviation stakeholders to implement the agreement and facilitate the expansion of air services between the two countries.