Every two years, Icelandair hosts the Midatlantic travel trade show in Reykjavik, allowing travel vendors from the regions that the airline serves to gather together and present and promote their offerings to travel buyers, travel journalists, and to network with one another.
One of the aisles in the 2023 Midatlantic travel show in Reykjavik
It’s always a great event, and this avgeek travel reporter always finds plenty of resources and story ideas there.
Your intrepid writer flying Icelandair’s 767-300ER full-motion simulator
We were also provided opportunities to see some very cool behind-the-scenes stuff at Icelandair. The airline recently completed an addition to their existing training facility in Hafnarfjörður, which is located between the country’s primary airport in Keflavik and the main city, Reykvavik.
Icelandair President and CEO Bogi Nils Bogason addresses a gathering at the airline’s new headquarters building – you can see one of their training simulators through the window at the top of the stairs behind him
The new building is quite contemportary and very European in its architecture; it’s a lovely addition.
Banking hardThe control center for the simLining up on final
But we were there primarily to see the airplane stuff, and we weren’t disappointed. I was allowed to fly their 767-300 full-motion simulator, and the instructor programmed in a couple approaches to a tricky Icelandic airfield as well as to JFK airport in New York City. I didn’t do too badly, all things considered, especially taking into account that a 767 handles a fair bit differently than the Cessna 172s I’m used to flying back home.
An Icelandair Boeing 737 MAX parked at a hard stand at Keflavik airport
Updates on the Airbus transition
We also got to have lunch with the airline’s C-suite folks and ask whatever questions we had about the airline.
One of the most significant developments for Icelandair is the incorporation of Airbus aircraft into its fleet. Traditionally an all-Boeing airline for its international operations (they do have a half-dozen Bombardier De Havilland Canada DHC-8s for their domestic, Greenland, and Faroe Islands service), Icelandair’s decision to add Airbus planes signaled a profound shift in strategy. The airline’s management has been evaluating the Airbus’ fuel efficiency, operational range, and passenger comfort, and seem pleased with the new jets so far.
Icelandair’s first A321LR, TF-IAA, at a gate at Stockholm Arlanda Airport following its inaugural revenue flight from KEF
Icelandair is still heavily invested in Boeing, having 21 737 MAX, 11 757s, and three 767s in their current fleet. They currently have two A321LRs, with five more on order, as well as 13 A321XLRs on order, and it’s those jets that will eventually replace the 757s.
The airline is weighing its long-term commitment to Boeing against a potential full transition to Airbus. Factors influencing this decision include cost efficiency, aircraft performance, and overall fleet consistency. While Boeing aircraft have long been the backbone of Icelandair’s operations, the introduction of Airbus jets raises questions about a potential gradual phase-out of the 737 MAX in favor of a more uniform Airbus fleet. However, for now, Bogason said the airline is happy with the MAX fleet and remains committed to maximizing the benefits of its current Boeing aircraft, all the while keeping future fleet options open.
Greenland tourism
Asked about the potential for expanding its service to Greenland, which is poised to become a sought-after tourist destination now that the country has opened a new airport that’s better capable of handling large commercial aircraft and bigger passenger loads, Bogason offered a wait-and-see attitude.
Icelandair serves Greenland via the former Icelandair Connect routes, which it integrated into its own schedule in 2021 after the two consolidated. There are four destinations, currently served by those aforementioned three DHC-8-200 and three DHC-8-400 aircraft.
With Greenland having opened its expanded main airport at Nuuk in October 2024, which includes a new terminal building and a new 7,200-foot runway, along with both SAS and United announcing seasonal service, tourism is expected to dramatically increase for the arctic nation. Icelandair and Air Greenland are currently the only carriers providing year-round service.
“Greenland is unique. I mean, Iceland is unique, but Greenland is really, really unique. It’s a complex market at the moment, and what makes it complex is that it’s not enough to build the runway. You have to build the hotels and the necessary infrastructure,” said Bogason.
He drew comparisons between Greenland’s current infrastructure and Iceland’s of 20-plus years ago, when the country had plenty of visitors but not enough tourism infrastructure to support them.
“I mean, look, just look at the companies that are in here (in Iceland) today. I mean, think of all of the companies that need to be here to give a good experience to big volumes of passengers. So this will have to be a slow path. I think we may be getting a little bit ahead of ourselves with the big aircraft coming in from the U.S., etc, this summer into into Nuuk,” he said, explaining his caution in expanding too quickly into a market that’s not yet prepared for an onslaught of travelers.
“We’ll see how it pans out, but it’s a big shock to a very, very small market, so it’s a tricky market, I think,” he added.
Getting to be a tourist in Iceland
Our tour included a cool greenhouse for growing tomatoeswhich also has a cafe serving tomato lattes – delicious!We were treated to a spa visitGeysirs were given their name from IcelandicThe area was like a mini YellowstoneWe also stopped at Þingvellir park to see the rift valleyThe fresh lava flows down a rampIt’s really lava
We were treated several traditional tourist stops during our visit, including the Lava Show, the only place in the world that makes lava daily for an educational experience; the relatively new Sky Lagoon hot-spring spa, along with a bus tour of the Reykjanes Peninsula, which included the Friðheimar tomato farm, the geysir, which is the namesake geyser and is the only Icelandic word adopted into the English language. We also stopped briefly at Þingvellir national park, another geologic wonder and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s a rift valley where the North American and European plates are separating, slowly building new land.
Lastly, we had a most wonderful meal at Sümac Grill + Drinks in downtown Reykjavik. I’m not normally one to mention restaurants, but this place was something special, especially how gracefully they handled my oddball food allergies by actually custom-making what I’d ordered to suit – even the sauces, which are typically premade in resaurants as busy as this one. Stop in and show them some AvGeek love if you’re in town.
Looking out the nose of a B-29 over Seattle – Photo: Jeremy Dwyer-Lindgren
Typically we cover airlines and airliners here at AirlineReporter, but occasionally an opportunity in the non-airline[r] worlds pops up that we just can’t pass on.
So when the Museum of Flight here at our Seattle HQ announced that Doc, one of only two airworthy Boeing B-29 bombers, was planning to visit in mid-May, we jumped at the chance to see her up close. Even better, we got to take a short ride around Seattle.
The airplane arrived earlier this week (May 17). Its Star Wars-esque nose, four engines, and incredibly shiny fuselage made it easy to spot on the horizon. The pilots eased the bird onto the runway and taxied down to the Museum of Flight ramp as a crowd of onlookers gathered to watch.
While the B-29 was originally produced in Seattle, Doc is not a native Pacific Northwesterner. It was one of 1,644 B-29s built at Boeing’s Wichita plant, in Kansas, and rolled off the line in March of 1945. It never saw combat, and went on serve in radar calibration and target-towing until it was decommissioned in 1956.
Doc, one of two airworthy Boeing B-29 bombers left in the world, rests after a media flight at Boeing Field in Seattle on May 17, 2022
It continued its service to the United States Air Force even after retirement, but instead of towing targets, it became one. The airplane spent decades soaking in the desert sun, along with the occasional bomb or bullet, on an Air Force bombing range near China Lake, California before being discovered in 1987. Restoration didn’t begin for another decade, in 1998, following a considerable amount of paperwork to pry the plane loose from the US government. Eighteen years and over 450,000 volunteer hours after that, the restoration was complete, and Doc once again took flight in 2016.
Its Seattle visit is the first for Doc, and the first B-29 visit to the area in almost eight years.
Wasn’t really sure what “Tech Lion” meant until seeing the design up close!
If you have been reading the site for a while, you know that I don’t take as many trips as I used to life priorities have just changed. When Embraer recently reached out to invite me down to fly on their E195-E2 aircraft, I was all in. ’œBut David, didn’t you just fly their E190-E2 Sharkjet about a year ago and don’t you always complain about how often you fly the diagcon from Seattle to Florida?’ Wow, you do read the site quite a bit and you are right’¦ on both accounts.
You don’t get to taxi often and see a Space Shuttle!
First off, I was going to be able to fly the Tech Lion vs the Sharkjet this time… meow! Secondly, as part of the media flight, we flew into the Kennedy Space Facility (KTTS), got a VIP tour, and had lunch with an astronaut (Tang drink included). And if that wasn’t enough, I was able to ride jump seat while taking off from KTTS. Yes, this was going to be worth heading down to Florida again to hang out with the fine folks at Embraer, and I was very grateful that I had an invite!
A huge crowd gathered to come see Icelandair’s newest addition to its fleet.
During a recent trip in April to Switzerland, I was able to make use of Icelandair’s Stopover option #MyStopover, and spent a weekend in Reykjavik to attend an employee-only plane warming party for the first Boeing 737 MAX 8 added to Icelandair’s fleet.
In February and March, Icelandair took delivery of their first three Boeing 737MAX 8 aircraft, TF-ICE, TF-ICY, and TF-ICU. The airline has 13 more MAX-series jets on order, with the next three scheduled for delivery in 2019, with the final delivery of this order slated for 2021.
The dark patches in the grey sky made for some nice contrast
The 737MAX features Icelandair’s updated livery, which has a simpler look. The blue is a lighter hue, the underbelly is grey, the words on the tail have been omitted so it only has the logo, and the yellow fuselage stripe has been removed. The aircraft were delivered without seats they and the in-flight entertainment system were installed in Keflavik by Icelandair Technical Services.
There was a several-day delay, before the first scheduled revenue flight, but, very quietly on April 13, TF-ICE made its first revenue flight to New York (EWR) and back, just in time for the party.
On the morning of Saturday April 14, TF-ICE made a quick repositioning flight from Keflavik (KEF) to Reykjavik City Airport (BIRK), where Icelandair’s upper management, along with some lucky employees, invited guests, and members of the press were about to board this brand new Boeing 737MAX for a sightseeing flight over Iceland.
Swiss International Air Lines took delivery on March 13 of the final Boeing 777-300ER of their 10-aircraft order
Swiss International Air Lines took delivery of its 10th Boeing 777-300ER on March 13, completing the now-expanded order it originally placed in 2013. That order was for six aircraft; three more were added in 2015, and the final 777 was added in 2016, the same year the first jet in the batch was delivered to the airline.
The new jets, with a maximum range of 7,370 nautical miles, also offer lower operating costs than competing aircraft, making them a very attractive option on long-haul routes.
Swiss employees celebrate the delivery in Everett, Wash.
Swiss placed the order as part of a planned update to their long-haul fleet. The 340-seat 777-300ER is used on eight intercontinental routes, all making use of the airline’s Zurich hub: Bangkok, Chicago, Hong Kong, Los Angeles, Miami, Montreal, San Francisco, and Singapore. The airline also operates Airbus A330-300s and A340-300s on its long-haul routes.