Atlantica - 01.11.2000, Page 89

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Fleet & History
Number of seats 189
Average cargo capacity 4,000 kgs 8,800 lbs
Length 47.3 m 155' 3''
Wing span 38.1 m 124' 10''
Cruising speed 876 km/h 544 mph
Maximum range 6,300 km 3,900 mi
Gross weight 113,400 kgs 250,000 lbs
Engines (two) RB211-535E4
Total take-off thrust 36,400 kps 80,200 lbs
Maximum range in statute miles based on full passenger load.
Number of seats 50
Average cargo capacity 500 kgs 1,100 lbs
Length 25.3 m 82' 10''
Wing span 29.0 m 95' 2''
Cruising speed 490 km/h 304 mph
Maximum range 1,770 km 1,100 mi
Gross weight 20,820 kgs 45,900 lbs
Engines (two) PW 125B turboprops
Total take-off power 4,500 kps
Maximum range in statute miles based on full passenger load.
Number of seats 153
Average cargo capacity 2,700 kgs 5,950 lbs
Length 36.4 m 119' 7''
Wing span 28.9 m 94' 9''
Cruising speed 790 km/h 490 mph
Maximum range 3,400 km 2,100 mi
Gross weight 65,990 kgs 145,480 lbs
Engines (two) CFM56-3-C1
Total take-off thrust 21,320 kps 47,200 lbs
Maximum range in statute miles based on full passenger load.
BOEING 757-200
BOEING 737-400
FOKKER 50
The History of Icelandair
THE HISTORY OF ICELANDAIR extends
far back beyond its formation in 1973 by the
merger of Flugfélag Íslands (Icelandair), estab-
lished in 1937, and Loftleidir (Icelandic
Airlines), founded in 1944. Its staff can draw
on a vast experience of air transport, dating
from 1945 on European routes and 1952 in
the North American skyways.
FLUGFÉLAG ÍSLANDS operated an exten-
sive routes system within Iceland, and served
destinations in Sweden, Denmark, Norway,
Scotland and England as well.The first interna-
tional passenger flight was made on 11 July
1945 when a Catalina seaplane took off from
Reykjavík and landed in Largs Bay in Scotland.
LOFTLEIDIR ceased domestic flying in
1952, concentrating instead on international
services to countries on both sides of the
Atlantic and earning worldwide recognition
as a pioneer of low fares on its transatlantic
routes. Transatlantic passengers were soon
offered the option of stopping over for a day
or more in Iceland.To meet demand for this
popular innovation the airline built Hótel
Loftleidir in Reykjavík and later set up a car
rental service. An Icelandair subsidiary today
operates seven first-class year-round hotels
located across Iceland. Two of them, Hótel
Loftleidir and Hótel Esja, are in Reykjavík;
the other hotels, Flúdir, Kirkjubæjarklaustur,
Höfn í Hornafirdi and Egilsstadir, are in
Keflavík. The subsidiary also runs the Edda
Summer Hotel Chain.Another Icelandair sub-
sidiary operates the Icelandair/Hertz car rental.
Icelandair introduced a new generation of
Boeing jets over the period 1989–1993. The
most recent addition to the Icelandair fleet
was a new Boeing 757-200 delivered in April
2000, and another new model is due next
year.The company takes delivery of two larg-
er B757-300s in 2002 and 2003.Additionally,
options have been reserved for up to eight
additional B757 aircraft which could be deliv-
ered between 2002 and 2006.
Today Icelandair’s route network of 20 inter-
national destinations includes six North
American and 14 European gateways. With
additional services to Iceland’s closest neigh-
bours, the Faroe Islands and Greenland,
Icelandair can justifiably claim to link the
West Nordic countries both with each other
and with the rest of the world.
Icelandair’s route network is based on a hub-
and-spoke system with Reykjavík’s airport,
Keflavík International, as nerve-centre.
Fourteen flights departing from six North
American cities arrive in Iceland 60 to 90 min-
utes before departures to 14 destinations in
Scandinavia, the UK and Central Europe.The
procedure is reversed in the afternoon with
flights arriving from Europe and the UK at
Keflavík International shortly before the
Icelandair fleet takes off for North America.
In 1999 Icelandair and Air Iceland carried a
total of 1,326,925 passengers. This was an
increase of 0.4 per cent on the previous year.
Air Iceland is an Icelandair subsidiary airline
operating a domestic service to five destinations
from Reykjavík and six destinations from
Akureyri. The airline also operates flights to
Tórshavn in the Faroe Islands and to two desti-
nations in Greenland: Narsarsuaq and Kulusuk.
Air Iceland’s fleet was renewed in 1992 with
three new Fokker F-50 propjets. For the ope-
ration the airline also uses three Metro 23s.
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