Goodbye Hekla Aurora: Icelandair retires its Northern Lights-inspired Boeing 757
October 14, 2025
Icelandic carrier Icelandair has retired its Northern Lights-inspired Boeing 757-200 after a decade in service. The aircraft is being withdrawn as part of a fleet modernisation programme which will see the carrier’s Boeing 757 fleet replaced by Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321LRs in the coming years.
Painted into the special livery in 2015 to commemorate its homeland, Boeing 757-200 registered TF-FIU has since travelled to airports around Europe and North America displaying the livery.
Some argue that the livery has been one of the most iconic aircraft colour schemes ever produced.
The arrival of Hekla Aurora in 2015
Along with being given the special livery, the aircraft took on the name ‘Hekla Aurora’ at the same time. Hekla is a traditional Icelandic girl’s name and also the name of one of Iceland’s better-known volcanoes.
‘Aurora’ was a reference to the northern lights (or ‘Aurora Borealis’), a natural phenomenon that Iceland is famous for.
The airline created Hekla Aurora as part of its ‘#MyStopover’ campaign, a tourism initiative aimed at encouraging more passengers to take short breaks in Iceland while travelling between Europe and North America.
According to the Icelandair website, “Dressed in the beautiful colours of an Icelandic winter landscape, our aircraft Hekla Aurora flies the northern lights across the Atlantic every day of the year.
Not only is our Boeing 757 wrapped in this exquisite livery, but Hekla Aurora’s interior is illuminated with beautiful one-of-a-kind mood lighting recreating the fabulous display of the aurora borealis.”
The unique Boeing 757 was introduced into Icelandair service as ‘Hekla Aurora’ in 2015 and first flew in the eye-catching colour scheme on 4 February 2015, starting with a commemorative flight over Iceland’s capital city.
Reykjavik’s Hallgrímskirkja Church was specially illuminated to mark the occasion of Hekla Aurora’s first flight.
A special farewell flight for TF-FIU
Icelandair said farewell to the iconic Aurora Borealis-themed aircraft by operating a special flight on TF-FIU’s last day of operations. On Sunday, 12 October, the aircraft welcomed 40 guests on board for a 120-minute scenic flight around Iceland.
“Hekla Aurora“ farewell flight
— Airways Magazine (@airwaysmagazine) October 12, 2025
📸: Andy Zhao /Airways#icelandair #boeing #avgeek pic.twitter.com/NoenhOnDjf
Ahead of the final flight, an airline statement said that the flight would fly low over the route to afford passengers the best views possible of some of Iceland’s famous natural landmarks.
The aircraft departed from Reykjavik’s Downtown Airport (RKV) as Icelandair flight ICE1100 at 12:13 local time and flew a circuit over the northern half of the country before landing back at the same airport at 14:35, some two hours and 22 minutes after taking off.
The Icelandic carrier said that this special farewell flight “offered aviation enthusiasts “a rare opportunity to celebrate the legacy of one of Icelandair’s most beloved aircraft.”
More about Hekla Aurora
According to data obtained from ch-aviation, TF-FIU is 31.5 years old, having first flown in April 1994. It was delivered to Icelandair in July of that same year and has remained with the same career throughout its career.
The aircraft featured the airline’s white, navy blue, and yellow scheme until it became Hekla Aurora in 2015.
The end of an era for two special Boeing 757s
Sadly, the retirement of TF-FIU brings the curtain down on two uniquely painted Boeing 757s in the Icelandair fleet. Back in September, Icelandair retired another of its specially themed Boeing 757s.
Introduced in 2017 to celebrate the airline’s 80th year, TF-FIR sported its special Vatnajökull livery for the past eight years.
Along with Hekla Aurora, the pair brought a taste of Iceland to passengers from all over the world. Inspired by the glacier of the same name, Vatnajökull featured a hand-painted image and a bespoke glacier-themed interior.
The 757s depart as new types arrive
Icelandair has been slowly reducing the size of its Boeing 757 fleet over recent years as new aircraft types such as the Boeing 737 MAX series and Airbus A321neo arrive with the carrier as part of its modernisation plan.
Having operated 44 Boeing 757s over the years, the carrier’s fleet is now down to just 11 aircraft, although its last two remaining 757-300s are currently leased out to Uzbek carrier Fly Khiva.
Despite the retirement of both Vatnajökull and Hekla Aurora in recent weeks, the airline still flies three of its remaining aircraft in non-standard liveries.
Aircraft TF-FIC wears a white and orange livery for global tour operator, Abercrombie and Kent, while TF-LLL sports a white and black National Geographic Tours scheme.
Lastly, TF-ISX, one of the two 757-300s on lease to Fly Khiva, wears a livery marking 100 years of Icelandic independence, with the flag colour of Iceland down the length of its fuselage.
With the size of the world’s fleet of Boeing 757s ever decreasing, it is getting increasingly difficult to find one in commercial service. Aerospace Global News recently listed all of the remaining commercial operators of the type and just how many are left.
