Icelandair’s first Airbus A321LR aircraft, registered TF-IAA, took to the skies for the first time on its initial test flight out of Hamburg-Finkenwerder (XFW) on November 19, 2024.
The flight, which is part of the usual testing process before the aircraft is officially delivered to the airline, was conducted with the aircraft already painted in Icelandair’s full livery.
Icelandair shared some pictures of this first flight on its Linkedin account.
This is the first Airbus aircraft to be delivered to Icelandair, a carrier that has primarily been a Boeing operator for decades.
The Icelandic flag carrier had long been looking for a replacement for its ageing Boeing 757 fleet, which were retired in October 2024.
While Icelandair initially selected the Boeing 737 MAX as the new workhorse for its mid-Atlantic hub operation, it announced a deal with Airbus in July 2023 for four A321LR and 13 A321XLR aircraft (plus another 12 options). Icelandair plans to operate a dual fleet, consisting of both Boeing and Airbus aircraft, until at least 2030.
During the carrier’s 2023 Capital Markets Day presentation, Icelandair hinted that, with the entry into service of the A321XLR, it may consider launching services to further flung destinations from Iceland, such as Dubai and the West Coast of the United States.
Icelandair’s A321LRs will be fitted with a two-class cabin for 168 passengers (22 in Saga Premium Business Class and 166 in Economy Class).
This first A321LR is expected to enter service with Icelandair in December 2024, with the remaining three of the type on order joining the fleet before summer 2025.
The type will initially be deployed on European routes, with Copenhagen (CPH) and Stockholm (ARN) slated as the first destinations and London-Heathrow (LHR) and Oslo (OSL) following suit before the end of 2024. The first transatlantic destination for Icelandair’s A321LR will be Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) from May 7, 2025.