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Icelandair orders the Airbus A321XLR

The Icelandic flag carrier, Icelandair, has announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Airbus for 13 A321XLR aircraft, placing 12 more options, as it seeks to replace its ailing Boeing 757s.

On April 7, 2023, the airline and manufacturer agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding as the Icelandic carrier made an order for a total of 25 aircraft—13 firm orders and 12 options. Also, four Airbus A321LR aircraft are “in advanced stage of negotiations” to be leased by Icelandair and will begin service in 2025.

Icelandair would begin receiving A321XLR deliveries in 2029 if the MoU is signed and sealed. The airline announced that it also has the option of purchasing additional A321LR aircraft. Icelandair stated that the replacement of the Boeing 757 will be finished with the purchase of the Airbus aircraft.

“It is confidential to disclose the 13 aircraft’s agreed-upon purchase price. The financing for the aircraft has not yet been decided, but the company will investigate financing possibilities as delivery dates approach, the carrier said in its statement.

Although operating exclusively with Boeing aircraft until 2025, Icelandair will switch to a mixed-fleet operation once the first A321LR is expected to arrive. 46 aircraft, including 16 Boeing 737 MAX, 16 757-200, two 757-300, and three 767-300ER, are currently in its fleet, according to statistics from ch-aviation.com. The Icelandic airline flies a pair of 757-200F freighters, one of which has been converted, as well as two 767-300F freighters that have also been converted.

Three Q200s and two Q400s make up its regional fleet of five De Havilland Canada DHC-8 aircraft.

Prior to 1990, Icelandair carried passengers aboard the four-engine jets until they were replaced by Boeing aircraft, which were the only other jets it operated.

Choosing the fleet for Icelandair’s future

Because the Boeing 757 and 767 share a type rating, having an all-Boeing fleet helped the company’s resources be used more efficiently for pilot training and acquisition. But, Boeing’s choice to not compete with the A321LR and A321XLR and the airline’s aging fleet put them in a difficult situation.

“We are pleased to report that a decision has been made on the future fleet of Icelandair. We have determined that the capable and fuel-efficient Airbus A321XLR and A321LR aircraft will replace the Boeing 757 we are gradually retiring,” said Bogi Nils Bogason, CEO of Icelandair. According to data from ch-aviation.com, the airline now uses Boeing 757-200 and 757-300 passenger versions that, on average, are 25.3 and 22.2 years old, respectively.

Bogason previously stated that the company was considering either purchasing additional 737 MAX aircraft or switching to Airbus’ A321LR and A321XLR aircraft as a substitute for the Boeing 757 in an Executive Spotlight interview with AeroTime.

Although the three 767s are, on average, 23.8 years old, the CEO said in the interview that “replacement of the wide-body fleet is not a worry at this moment in time.” Operational challenges will arise when a new fleet type is introduced, including those related to crew and other personnel training and certification.

However, since Boeing opted to stop producing a mid-market aircraft formerly known as the New Midsize Aircraft (NMA), Airbus has had complete dominance over that market. While the European manufacturer intends to release the A321XLR in 2024, Arkia – Israeli Airlines received the A321LR for the first time in November 2018.

The A321XLR can fly up to 4,700 nm, while the A321LR has a maximum range of 4,000 nm (7,400 km) (8,700 km). While the Boeing 737 MAX-7 has the smallest number of seats (172), it has the longest range of the four aircraft in the family (3,850 nm, 7,130 KM). If given a single auxiliary tank, the Boeing 737 MAX-10 can carry 230 passengers and go 3,300 nautical miles (6,110 kilometers) without refueling.

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