In addition to its domestic/keeper airline, Iceland Airlines also has a full-ship Mainline fleet consisting of 737 MAX-8 and MAX-9, 757-200, 757-300 and 767 JETLINERS. All this changed on December 10, 2024, when airlines used the A321LR for TF-IAA, named TF-IAA Esiaaccording to their procedures for naming aircraft after Icelandic volcanoes.
There are a lot to unpack here, so this article will focus on the experience of flying. We will do a follow-up story on the meaning of the fleet changes that happen later.
Not surprisingly, the new impression is novelty. It almost doesn’t feel like it should be there because it’s so primitive. The smell of new aircraft is real. And very cute.
When I was doing this trip in some crazy way, from Seattle to Keflavik, Keflavik to Stockholm and then heading straight to return at each airport for about 90 minutes, Iceland Airlines is friendly, Can let me put it in their quality courses – Legend – for a whole 22+ hours trip. I did some crazy routes and some real On my long flights this day, but never had a marathon like this. This is the stupidest thing I’ve ever done and one of the most interesting things.
The travels covered by numbers covered 9,896 miles on four air 22-hour and 15-minute flights, all packing 27 hours of total travel time. All of this is really for Kef-Arn and comes with a new Airbus. I was on the Boeing 737 Max-8 on the Sea-Kef, A321LR KEF-ARN and ARN-KEF, and the Boeing 757-200 KEF-SEA, which allowed me to compare the experiences of all the active long-distance fleets of Iceland Airlines.
I’ve reviewed Iceland Airlines 757,,,,, 737 Maxand De Havilland Canada DHC-8 These observations remain valid for the past services.
Their 757 people are about to end their service life, so they absolutely need to upgrade. The Max series is a good update, but the derivatives of the derivative 737 do not have the range and carrying capacity of those excellent 757s. Boeing missed a huge opportunity when it stopped production in 2004 and did not develop alternatives. In previous Iceland Airlines reports, we noted that the airline’s management has long hoped that Boeing could directly replace the 757. Obviously, this hasn’t come true, and the fleet is older than Airbus’ products, with few options.
Therefore, among Airbus’ latest A321 derivatives, this is the closest derivative on the market to 757.
There is no doubt that the 737 MAX 8 and 9 are very comfortable and capable aircraft, but Airbus’s A321LR is ahead of Boeing and has just released the A321XLR. The Max Cabins are definitely quieter than their predecessor NG version, but Airbus is even quieter. The A321LR is also 30% more fuel efficient than the aircraft it replaces.
Even at the rear of the plane, the seats are more comfortable than aircraft manufacturers, although it depends on the airline.
Airbus jets lack a large amount of space bins on Line 737 for overhead luggage, but they can still complete the task. Spend seven hours on the maximum, then transition directly to the new Airbus and then return to the 757 for another seven hours.
The only thoughtful thing about legendary seats is trying to find power outlets on Airbus that plug under the center console. There are also great folding jacket hooks on the seat back, which is very convenient for cold travel.
Unlike many domestic American airlines, Iceland Airlines’ 187-seat A321LR does not have a medium toilet. Instead, their placement is similar to the Boeing layout in front of one of the Saupans, offering three for everyone else at the rear of the plane.
Due to technical failures at the opening ceremony, the aircraft’s new KA-band satellite internet to Icelandair Viasat did not work properly. I did browse the mobile map and wrote down a variety of movie options. The 4K OLED touch screen is very sharp, with smooth features and beautiful colors; this is one of the best IFE screens I’ve ever seen.
It would be sad to see the noble B757 fleet retire for many reasons. But the replacement aircraft Iceland Airlines chooses certainly depends on the mission and uses its more modern engine and avionics system to outperform airline passenger comfort and fuel efficiency.
In our next post, we will explore what these new aircraft mean for fleet operations and potential route expansion.
