Editing Icelandair (section)

=== Merger with Loftleiðir ===
During the [[1970s energy crisis]], the economic situation for both Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir worsened. The government of Iceland initiated a new attempt to merge the two airlines, which could be realized in 1973 following lengthy and difficult negotiations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://timarit.is/view_page_init.jsp?pageId=3165359 |title=Frjáls verslun, 40. árgangur 1981, 9. tölublað |publisher=Timarit.is |access-date=7 October 2012}}</ref> In 1975, the Icelandic government provided a $13.5 million loan to Flugleiðir.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=Yrði ekki í fyrsta sinn - Viðskiptablaðið|url=http://www.vb.is/frettir/yrdi-ekki-i-fyrsta-sinn/161574/|website=www.vb.is|language=en-us|url-status=live|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200508103447/https://www.vb.is/frettir/yrdi-ekki-i-fyrsta-sinn/161574/|archive-date=8 May 2020|access-date=2020-05-03}}</ref> The staff of Loftleiðir complained that Flugfélag Íslands, although smaller, had gained the upper hand in the united company.<ref>{{cite news |title=Hlakkaði alltaf til næsta dags |language=is|newspaper=Morgunblaðið |url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/gagnasafn/grein.html?grein_id=757502 |date=15 October 2003 |access-date= 23 May 2011}}</ref> A holding company called ''[[Stodir|Flugleiðir]]'' was created, which combined the two companies and began to streamline staff and operations.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.mbl.is/mm/gagnasafn/grein.html?radnr=342619 |title=mbl.is |publisher=mbl.is |access-date=7 October 2012}}</ref> At the time of the merger, two-thirds of the passenger traffic of the airline were international transatlantic crossings, and Flugfélag Íslands's fleet of Douglas DC-3s and Boeing 727s were enlarged by the [[Douglas DC-8]]s of Loftleiðir. In 1979, the two airlines Flugfélag Íslands and Loftleiðir merged into one airline Flugleiðir, and the airline was renamed '''Icelandair.'''