Air travel has undergone dramatic changes over the past two decades, yet much of the technology powering airline partnerships remains built on systems developed decades ago.
That challenge created an opportunity for Iceland-based travel technology company Dohop.
Founded in 2004 as a flight search engine, the company has evolved into a global aviation technology provider that helps airlines create new partnerships, expand their networks and offer more connecting flight options to passengers. Today, Dohop works with airlines across Europe, Asia and other international markets, helping carriers reach destinations they do not directly serve.
“Part of what we do is come in and try to simplify that infrastructure,” said CEO David Gunnarsson during an interview with GMI POST. “It shouldn’t be as hard as it is today.”
The company’s origins reflect a problem many travelers once faced.
In the early 2000s, the rapid growth of low-cost airlines created a fragmented travel market. Passengers often needed to visit multiple airline websites to compare routes and prices because no single platform could easily aggregate all available options.
Dohop was founded to solve that problem by helping travelers search across multiple airlines at once. However, as the market matured and larger travel search platforms emerged, the company identified a much bigger opportunity.
The shift began around 2015 when Dohop started working directly with airports and airlines rather than focusing solely on consumer search. The company realized that many low-cost carriers were only selling point-to-point tickets despite operating networks that could support far more travel connections.
Instead of asking airlines to build complex partnership infrastructure themselves, Dohop developed technology that allows carriers to create and manage connections with other airlines more easily.
Its work with European low-cost carrier EasyJet became one of the company’s most significant milestones. Before partnering with Dohop, EasyJet primarily sold direct flights. Through Dohop’s technology, the airline gained the ability to offer connecting journeys across a much broader network.
The lesson is one often seen in successful technology companies: growth does not always come from creating entirely new markets. Sometimes it comes from identifying inefficiencies within established industries and making existing systems work better.
For Gunnarsson, aviation remains one of those industries.
“The only real difference between many airline systems today and decades ago is that the ticket is no longer printed,” he said.
Dohop believes airlines need more flexible and modern ways to build partnerships as passenger expectations evolve.
The company’s technology enables airlines to sell itineraries that combine flights from different carriers, creating new travel options without requiring airlines to launch additional routes. That can help carriers expand their reach while giving travelers access to destinations that might otherwise require multiple separate bookings.
The strategy has proven particularly relevant in Asia, where the aviation market remains highly fragmented and low-cost carriers continue to play an important role in regional travel.
“We really believe in making connected travel simple for passengers and making it simple for airlines to sell and service those journeys,” Gunnarsson said.
The company sees significant opportunities across Asia, including Japan, although Gunnarsson acknowledges that entering the Japanese market requires patience.
“We see Japan as a great opportunity, but it is also a market that is not easy to enter,” he said. “It requires a high level of trust, maturity and rigor.”
Rather than relying heavily on mass marketing, Dohop has focused on building relationships directly with airline partners. Gunnarsson said much of the company’s growth comes through face-to-face meetings, industry conferences and long-term relationship building.
“Things still depend on personal relationships and building trust in person,” he said.
That approach highlights another lesson from Dohop’s growth story. Even in highly digital industries, relationships remain a competitive advantage. Technology may enable connections, but trust is often what makes partnerships possible.
The company’s resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic further reinforced that principle. While global aviation came to a near standstill, Dohop continued working with airline partners and secured additional investment that positioned the company for growth as travel demand recovered.
Today, Dohop works with airlines across multiple regions and continues developing new products designed to simplify travel connections. Recent initiatives include solutions that help airlines manage passenger baggage across partner networks, bringing the experience closer to that of traditional interline agreements.
For Iceland, Dohop represents a broader shift occurring across the country’s economy. While industries such as fisheries remain important, Iceland is increasingly producing technology companies that compete in highly specialized global markets.
Dohop’s growth demonstrates how smaller countries can build internationally relevant technology businesses by solving niche problems that affect industries worldwide.
“We pride ourselves on being a trusted partner,” Gunnarsson said. “Airlines need partners they can rely on to deliver and help them move faster.”
As global aviation continues to evolve, Dohop is betting that making travel connections simpler—for both airlines and passengers—will remain a problem worth solving.
