Icelandair will decide before the end of the year what aircraft will replace
its fleet of aging Boeing 757s. That was what the carrier’s CEO, Bogi Nils Bogason,
said in an interview with CAPA on September 8th. While its 757s have low ownership costs,
the airline is seeking modern aircraft with appropriate range, lower fuel consumption,
and better environmental performance. So what could replace Icelandair’s 757s?
Icelandair is most known for connecting North America and Europe
via its Keflavik hub. In this model, longer-range narrowbodies like the 757 play a vital role.
They’re also important for not having too many seats to fill (which is vital during winter).
AirInsight says Icelandair has had 24 757s, comprising 22 -200s and two -300s.
Its passenger -200 versions have 184 seats while its higher-capacity -300s have 225.
During the early September interview, Icelandair’s CEO said the following:
“We are now reviewing our long-term strategy [for] which aircraft will replace the 757,
and which aircraft we will use for destinations like Seattle, Portland, Orlando, and so on,
going forward. And the plan is to conclude this work before the end of this year.”
Icelandair now has nine Boeing 737 MAXs, comprising six -8s and three -9s..
The type is now the smallest jet in its fleet and has quickly become important.
The MAX operates many different sector lengths, including Orlando and Seattle – indeed,
the latter was the world’s longest non-stop 737 route this past summer.
No wonder some have said the MAX would replace the 757! Adding to previous comments about how
well the MAX has been performing, the carrier’s CEO’s expressed happiness with the type, saying:
“We are very pleased with the performance of the Boeing 737 MAX and the aircraft has outperformed
expectations, both regarding range and fuel efficiency. Of course, it goes hand in hand.
And the CO2 emission is about 36 percent lower than on the 757 so we are extremely happy with
the performance . And the aircraft is, of course, much more environmentally friendly than the 757.”
The MAX 8 and 9 both have the same theoretical and non-real-world limit of 3,550nm. While Seattle has
seen the MAX during the summer, it reverts to the B757-200 this winter. This 3,148nm route
would likely have payload restrictions in winter because of stronger headwinds that would limit
performance. It takes around eight hours to fly to Seattle in summer. This could be why Airinsight
says that the MAX is suitable only for 85% of Icelandair’s routes, ruling out the West Coast.
So, for some of Icelandair’s further routes,. could the 262-seat 767-300ER
be used? Or might Icelandair order the A321LR/XLR? Icelandair service to San Francisco and Los
Angeles would be similar in range to what was the longest A321LR route across the North Atlantic:
the 3,713nm service from Stockholm to Chicago, operated by SAS.
However, the XLR is expected to be a real-world 757-200 replacement:
more modern and fuel-efficient while flying a higher payload a longer distance. Therefore, we
might just see Icelandair use a long-range variant of the Airbus A321 as its future 757 replacement.
But what do you think? How likely is it that the A321 will be acquired?
Let us know in the comments.