Air Canada adds Iceland flights to summer itinerary

People walk on the black sanded beach in Vik, Iceland, near the Volcano Katla, on Oct. 26, 2016. (Frank Augstein / AP)

Air Canada is expanding its international network to offer direct flights from Canada to Reykjavik, Iceland, in a bid to cater to rising demand for the increasingly popular Nordic island.

The flights will operate four times and three times weekly from the carrier's Toronto and Montreal hubs (subject to government approvals), with the first of the new non-stop services to kick off in June 2017 with a 136-seat A319 aircraft operated by Air Canada Rouge.

Special introductory fares start at $698 round trip, all in, and tickets are now available for purchase at aircanada.com and through travel agents.

The news, announced Wednesday, is the first of several new, international services to be launched in 2017, with additional flight routes including (but not limited to) Toronto-Mumbai, Toronto-Berlin, Montreal-Shanghai, Montreal-Algiers, Montreal-Marseille, Vancouver-Taipei, and Vancouver-London Gatwick.

Commenting on the most recent launch, Benjamin Smith, president of passenger airlines at Air Canada said: "Iceland is an emerging and exciting vacation destination growing in popularity with its array of outdoor leisure and cultural adventures, and we're looking forward to flying to the Land of Fire and Ice this summer."