Skift Take
The WOW tourism-based Iceland hub strategy is not dissimilar from that of IcelandAir. But by staying clear of big hubs, planning for sustainable growth and keeping fares low, Mogensen has mapped-out his flight path in favorable winds.
What's the best way for a low-cost carrier to gain transatlantic routes? If you ask WOW Air's CEO and sole owner, Skúli Mogensen, the best flightpath for success is the path of least resistance.
For WOW, the least contentious and most efficient path is also blessed with breathtaking, otherworldly vistas and plentiful unspoiled nature.
We had a chat with Mogensen about his competitive strategy for the transatlantic market, WOW's travel services, and what matters most to him for WOW Air, and Iceland, beyond tomorrow. We were treated to honest answers from man who knows his business and loves his country.
After great success in the tech and telecommunications sectors, Mogensen took his diverse professional background and business savvy, to invest in the tricky business of running an airline. Mogensen tells us he saw many opportunities for WOW.
"It was a combination of a few things," he says. "One, the incredible growth in tourism to and from Iceland, where we only had one legacy carrier, basically having a monopoly on many of the most popular routes. I saw a great opportunity to lower prices and give people better service. Secondly, and probably even more interesting to me, is the fact that no one had truly offered a low-cost alternative across the Atlantic."
"By using Iceland as a stopover hub, we can offer transatlantic flights at a much lower cost. Last, which is also very important given my background in technology, the internet has already transformed the
