Is this the ‘coolest’ plane ever? Vatnajökull
Transatlantic airline transforms entire Boeing757-200 into a flying piece of art inspired by the largest glacial mass in Europe
- Icelandair guarantees the breath-taking sight of Iceland’s glaciers to passengers from around the world with its new Vatnajökull plane
- The Vatnajökull plane is decorated with a beautiful, hand-painted image of the glacier from which it takes its name and also include a stunning glacier themed interior
- Vatnajökull is considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of Europe and is the largest glacier mass in Europe covering an area of over 8000 sq km
- The Vatnajökull plane demonstrates Icelandair’s commitment to inspiring their guests and providing unique customer experiences, ensuring that passengers appreciate the journey as much as the destination
- The Vatnajökull plane joins Icelandair’s fleet making appearances throughout the network and flying over the Atlantic Ocean every day.
Reykjavik, 17th May 2017: Transatlantic airline, Icelandair, is set to add some grandeur to the skies with the launch of its Vatnajökull glacier themed plane.
The Vatnajökull plane is part of Icelandair’s transatlantic fleet providing passengers with a guaranteed experience of the Vatnajökull glacier.
All Icelandair planes are named after Icelandic volcanoes and this special livery joins the Hekla Aurora, created in 2015 and inspired by the northern lights, as the second hand crafted piece of artwork to adorn one of their fleet. So now when you fly transatlantic or take a stopover you can explore another natural phenomenon before you even land.
Icelandair commissioned this plane as part of their celebrations for their 80th anniversary this year. The plane is being spray painted by hand,by a team of artists; the same group who created the Hekla Aurora plane. The process of airbrushing used to create the image of the glacier is a highly unusual, skilled job that will take the team a total of 24 days to complete using 195 litres of paint. It takes 1062 litres to cover the entire plane, which is over 200 domestic size tins.
The new Vatnajökull plane also features wonderful touches of glacier magic within its interiors to replicate the experience of the Vatnajökull glacier itself. Ambient moving LED blue lighting will be installed in the main cabin; the headrests will be adorned with a beautiful ice white and brilliant turquoise design. Even the drinks trolley will be transformed into a mini ice-cave, while cups, napkins, and even sick bags will be decorated with glacier prints!
The Vatnajökull glacier is the most active in Iceland with around 60 eruptions over the last 800 years, not surprising seeing as it has three active volcanoes beneath its surface: Öræfajökull, Báròarbunga and Grímsvötn. It covers an area of 8100-8300 sq km, 8% of the country’s land mass and is considered to be one of the seven natural wonders of Europe. Icelandair has been a supporter of the ‘Friends of Vatnajokull’ since the non-profit organisation was formed in 2009 to support research and educational activities.
Birkir Hólm Guðnason, CEO at Icelandair comments, “We can’t wait to share the Vatnajökull with our passengers. Icelandair believe that travelling is one of life’s great pleasures and a trip on this plane will ensure customers experience time well travelled, as they sit back and experience Iceland’s most extreme elements from the comfort of their own seats.”
A “Making Of” film is available to watch here which captures the incredible process of painting the plane and showcases how Icelandair are committed to championing creativity to inspire and enrich their passengers.
To mark the launch of the Vatnajökull, a celebration flight took place on 13th May 2017, where a special flight path took it over the very glacier it is named after. Have any questions about the Vatnajökull airplane? Here you can read more about this plane, see the schedule or request to fly on the Vatnajökull.