Icelandair signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 13 A321XLR aircraft, with options for 12 more. This decision comes on the backdrop of Icelandair’s plan of fleet modernisation and revamp to replace its aging B757s fleet.
Icelandair is also currently in an advanced stage of negotiations to lease four Airbus A321LR aircraft in order to operate them from 2025. The airline is expecting the deliveries by 2029.
“The agreed purchase price of the 13 aircraft is confidential. The financing of the aircraft is yet to be determined but the Company will explore financing options closer to the delivery dates,” the airline said in a statement.
So far, Icelandair was an all-Boeing airline with 46 aircraft including 16 Boeing 737 MAX, 16 757-200, two 757-300, and three 767-300ER aircraft. In terms of freighters, the Icelandic airline operates a pair of 757-200Fs, including one converted freighter, as well as two converted 767-300Fs.
Its regional fleet consists of five De Havilland Canada DHC-8 aircraft, namely three Q200s and two Q400s.
“We are happy to announce that we have now reached a conclusion regarding Icelandair’s future fleet. We have decided that the capable and fuel-efficient Airbus aircraft, A321XLR and A321LR, will become the successors of the Boeing 757 we are gradually retiring,” commented Bogi Nils Bogason, CEO, Icelandair.
Icelandair's A321XLR will have a configuration with about 190 seats, seven more than the Boeing 757.
As the airline is planning to introduce a new fleet type, Icelandair will have to deal with various operational complexities like training and certification of crews and other personnel.