Icelandair Says Goodbye to B757-200 in Vatnajökull Glacier Design

Icelandair, the national airline of Iceland, has announced that it will be retiring all of its Boeing 757-200 aircraft adorned with the Vatnajökull glacier livery. This marks the end of an era for the airline’s ‘flying glacier,’ which has been in operation for eight years.

The final flight featuring the Boeing 757 in its glacier livery occurred on September 21, 2025. The aircraft, registered TF-FIR, operated as flight FI455, departing from London Heathrow (LHR) at 21:29 local time and landing at Keflavík International Airport (KEF) in Reykjavík at 00:15 local time on September 22, 2025.

This flight symbolizes the culmination of service for the distinctive livery that was introduced in 2017 to commemorate Icelandair’s 80th anniversary. It was designed to honor Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Iceland, which first graced the skies on May 13, 2017.

As stated on the airline’s official website, the livery pays tribute to Europe’s largest glacier, which extends from Iceland’s highest mountain range. Vatnajökull covers 8% of the country’s land area and can reach depths of up to 1,000 meters (3,280 feet)—equivalent to approximately 30 meters of ice spread evenly across all of Iceland.

“Vatnajökull holds a special place in the hearts of Icelanders. With this unique aircraft, we aim to share the natural wonders of Vatnajökull with our passengers and invite them to experience a stunning aspect of our home,” remarked the airline at the launch of the design.

Icelandair’s fleet typically showcases five tail colors: boreal blue, magenta, sky blue, yellow, and green. Each color reflects different elements of Iceland’s breathtaking nature. With the retirement of the Vatnajökull glacier design, only one special scheme remains— the “Hekla Aurora” Boeing 757-200, which debuted in 2015 and draws inspiration from Iceland’s spectacular northern lights.

Airline’s Fleet Modernization Goals

The choice to retire the ‘Vatnajökull’ aircraft forms part of Icelandair’s broader strategy to modernize its fleet. This initiative is focused on replacing older jets with more fuel-efficient models.

In line with this plan, Icelandair is transitioning from the Boeing 757s to Airbus A321LR and A321XLR aircraft. The airline has already introduced its first A321LRs into service and anticipates receiving the A321XLRs starting in 2029.