Icelandair aims to bring the spirit of Iceland to the world, and of course to bring people from around the world to Iceland. For those travelling with Icelandair to Keflavík airport, 30 miles south of capital Reykjavík, their cultural journey starts in the aircraft cabin.
The airline also has a distinct culture, having connected Iceland with the world for over 85 years. The airline’s aircraft interior designers aim to give passengers onboard a taste of Iceland’s landmarks, heritage and culture, through the inflight entertainment, food menu and lighting.
Here are eight interesting bits of trivia about Icelandair…
1: Aircraft names inspired by natural Icelandic wonders
Icelandair is so fond of the country’s volcanoes, glaciers and other natural wonders that it has named each of its aircraft after them. Iceland is famous for its spectacular landscapes, and each aircraft bears the name of an Icelandic attraction, including Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier; and Þingvellir (or Thingvellir), the rift valley where the Icelandic parliament was founded in the year 930 AD.
Additionally, the onboard textile collection (blankets, pillows, headrests and more) is inspired by the peaks of Iceland’s mountainous landscapes and is primarily produced from sustainable materials.
If you go one step further and travel in Saga Premium (premium class) on North America routes, you can enjoy another tribute to Iceland’s nature. Icelandair’s eco-friendly amenity kit collection celebrates local wildlife (puffins, horses, ravens and arctic foxes) and is designed to enhance the onboard experience.
The airline recently underwent a brand refresh, with a video guide HERE.
2: Unique aircraft liveries representing Icelandic landmarks
In 2022, Icelandair updated its aircraft livery – the external design of planes – with new colours drawn from Icelandic nature, including the famous aurora borealis (northern lights). Icelandair is particularly proud of its special livery aircraft, which include Hekla Aurora (a Boeing 757 painted with the northern lights), Vatnajökull (a Boeing 757 scheme celebrating the Vatnajökull glacier and the airline’s 80th anniversary), and Þingvellir (another Boeing 757, dressed in the Icelandic national flag).
The Hekla Aurora scheme. Hekla is a traditional Icelandic girl’s name and also the name of one of the country’s better-known volcanoes. ‘Aurora’ is a reference to the northern lights. The Hekla Aurora livery was created as part of Icelandair’s #MyStopover campaign, which encourages passengers to take some time to enjoy a stopover
3: Inflight Northern Lights
On some special Icelandair aircraft you will find unique cabin mood lighting designed to resemble some of Iceland’s most iconic locations. On board Vatnajökull the blue LED lighting in the cabin creates the illusion of being inside an ice cave, while on Hekla Aurora (with its livery painted in the colours of the aurora) it feels as if you’re watching the northern lights dancing in the Icelandic winter sky. If you’re lucky, you might even see the real thing out the aircraft window.
4: A taste of Iceland
When food and drinks are served on board, the menu selection features Icelandic ingredients and snacks, such as Icelandic chocolate, locally distilled spirits and craft beers, and hjónabandssæla (an oat-and-jam square, whose name translates as ‘happy marriage’).
Many believe that Icelandic water is the best-tasting water in the world. Try it for yourself on the flight and decide for yourself – Icelandair serves refreshing Iceland Spring water throughout each trip.
5: Special treats for special Icelandic days
If you’re travelling with Icelandair on one of Iceland’s national celebratory days, the airline aims to share some traditions with you. That might mean pastry buns on Bolludagur (Bun Day), treats to celebrate Pride, or stories of the mischievous Yule Lads in the lead-up to Christmas.
Icelandair has five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft. The first (TF-ICE) is named Jökulsárlón (after Iceland’s famous glacier lagoon)
6: Onboard soundtracks by Icelandic artists
As you board the plane, you will hear a soundtrack with music composed and performed by Icelandic artists. Icelandair loves how Iceland sounds and loves to share what the music scene has to offer. So much so, the airline is the founding sponsor of the Iceland Airwaves music festival, held every November in Reykjavík. You can watch a fun documentary all about it, on the in-flight entertainment system. You can also follow Icelandair’s Spotify playlists here.
Fun Fact – the airline also received an award from Samtónn, the Icelandic Music Association, in recognition of its ongoing support for Icelandic music and musicians.
7: Unique inflight entertainment
Icelandair’s in-flight entertainment (IFE) system doesn’t just show popular TV programmes and movies. Icelandair is proud to feature Icelandic films, documentaries and TV programmes, to help guests explore the Icelandic cultural landscape before they arrive.
Flyers can also tune in to the ‘Unique Iceland’ videos: four videos with different themes (shopping and design; activities and experiences; health and wellness; and taste of Iceland) that introduce passengers to some of the best things to see and do in Iceland.
Icelandair has signed a LOI with Heart Aerospace for the option to add electric aircraft to its domestic fleet
8: Icelandic language
The Icelandic language is an important part of the airline’s brand identity. You will see samples of the language throughout the cabin (look out for it on cups and napkins), and hear its uniqueness in announcements from the cabin crew.
Booking trivia
If you are transiting through Iceland, you can make the most of a stopover in Iceland and follow one of Icelandair’s ready-made Stopover itineraries which will help you get the most out of your time. Options include everything from spa stopovers to adrenaline-filled week-long trips.
You can book an Icelandair Stopover in two simple steps:
- Decide where you want to go.
- When booking your flight, select the option to ‘Stopover in Iceland’. You can then choose how many days you’d like to spend in Iceland and explore your booking options.
