AIRLINE REVIEW
ICELANDAIR :
FROM B ( 757 ) TO A ( 321 )
Story & Photos SIMONE CHELLINI
Founded in 1937 , Icelandair ( FI ) can be rightly proud of its almost nine decades of history and heritage . A long-term Boeing customer , the airline operates its fleet of Boeing 757s on flights of up to eight hours to the American West Coast .
Its latest addition , the Boeing 737 MAX , has enabled Icelandair to connect to more cities than ever before both in Europe and on the American East Coast . In 2025 , Icelandair will also introduce its first-ever Airbus aircraft , the A321LR .
“ Our business model revolves around using Iceland ’ s unique geographical location to offer flight connections between Europe and North America on economical narrow-body aircraft ,” Bogi
Nils Bogason , Icelandair ’ s Chief Executive Officer , told Airways . “ This way , we offer a total of 791 possible connections .”
Icelandair has done that with a fleet of just over 40 aircraft . In 2023 , Icelandair flew almost 12 times Iceland ’ s population of 400,000 people . To put this number into perspective , Iberia would need to multiply its 2023 traffic figures by 20 , and the Italian flag carrier ITA Airways would need to carry 40 times its 2023 passengers to match Icelandair .
` “ We are constantly developing our network and currently offer direct services between Keflavik and more than 50 destinations in Europe and North America ,” Bogason said . “ Our international network
24 AIRWAYS MAGAZINE NOVEMBER 2024 www . airwaysmag . com