In 1952, Alfred Eliasson, the scrappy CEO of Icelandic Airlines, came up with an idea to boost his company’s performance. The solution transformed Eliasson’s country—and the world. In the winter of 1951, Alfred Eliasson’s company, Icelandic Airlines, was about to go under. The founder and his executive team had decided to pull out of the transatlantic market just a few months prior, after established carriers like Pan-Am proved to be tougher competition than expected.