National Geographic Leases Icelandair 757

[In The News]

DALLAS – National Geographic has leased an Icelandair (FI) Boeing 757-200 to operate its luxury round-the-world tours.

The 2000-build jet, registration TF-LLL (MSN 29307), has been repainted in a ‘National Geographic’ livery. Its cabin has also had a complete makeover. Usually, the airline’s 757s are configured with 184 seats, 20 in its premium cabin called ‘Saga Class’ and 164 in Economy. The aircraft now has just 80 premium seats, of which only 75 are sold to passengers.

Photo: National Geographic.

The aircraft was then flown from the FI’s Homebase of Reykjavík–Keflavík Airport (KEF) to Seattle Boeing Field (BFI) on the first leg of its three-week global tour.

Once in a Lifetime Tour

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Operated in collaboration with The Wall Street Journal, a team of world-renowned experts from National Geographic are onboard the jet, which calls at Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Finland and Iceland before arriving in Washington D.C. three weeks later.

Icelandair had already worked with National Geographic on its round-the-world tours before the covid pandemic. The airline had previously utilised 1994 built 757, TF-FIS (MSN 26245) to operate the flights. This airframe has now been converted to a freighter operating for Amerijet International (M6).

Icelandair is currently evaluating a number of aircraft types to replace its ageing 757 fleet. Photo: Liam Funnell/Airways.

Currently, FI has a fleet of 18 Boeing 757-200s, eleven of which are in active service, plus two of the larger 757-300s. The type has been the staple of the carrier’s fleet since the 1990s, and the airline plans to announce its replacement in the next 12 months.

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Featured Image: TF-FIS started life with Iberia (IB) before joining FI in 2003. Photo: National Geographic.

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