ICELANDAIR
(Iceland)

Iceland’s flag carrier had large expansion plans at the end of the 1980s, which included a widebody replacement for the DC-8 aircraft on the lucrative route from Luxembourg via Reykjavik to New York (JFK). For this flights, a DC-10-30CF was leased from Seaboard World Airlines. The contract included the option to purchase the aircraft.
The DC-10 was mainly used on the mentioned route, but probably flew also other to other US-destinations. Some months after the DC-10 began service with Icelandair, the American Airlines accident in Chicago happened after which the worldwide DC-10 fleet was grounded. In this phase, Icelandair came in financial problems and close to a collapse, which was only prevented by an aid of the State of Iceland. The aircraft was operated for a few months more after the worldwide DC-10 operations recommenced and leased for a month to Garuda Indonesia. But only 15 months after the introduction of the new aircraft type, the DC-10 was returned to Seaboard World Airways which leased the aircraft to Air Florida. For Icelandair, the DC-10 was the first experience with a widebody aircraft - and the only until now. The actual fleet consists of 757-200 and -300 aircraft. Plans for new widebodys are not in sight...

Photos:
Right: Icelandair DC-10-30F (CF) during a stopover in Keflavik - BY OLAFUR SIGURDSSON


Parts of the info were contributed by Olafur Sigurdsson

Following aircraft were operated by or for Icelandair:

RegistrationAircraftFleetnr./NameOperated from - toWhere is it now?
N1305F46992/ 25703.01.1979 - 10.1979 and
11.1979 - 03.1980
FedEx


Previous airline: Iberia Next airline: Japan Air Lines

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