Icelandair Group is intending to indicate the results of fleet-renewal discussions over the first half of this year.
The operator has been looking to secure deliveries of aircraft over the course of the current decade, as it phases out Boeing 757.
Icelandair Group owns 17 passenger 757s, including a pair of -300s, of which 13 will be deployed on its summer network this year.
“The future fleet strategy of Icelandair has been thoroughly reviewed in recent years, where options for fleet renewal and growth have been identified,” the company states.
It says it is considering the Boeing 737 Max and the Airbus A320 family as contenders for the modernisation and expansion.
“Dialogue with the respective aircraft manufacturers is ongoing,” it says, adding that the conclusion of these talks is “expected to be outlined” in the first half of 2023.
Icelandair has so far favoured the 737 Max for its future fleet requirements, bringing its fleet of the type to 16 last year – including completion of deliveries from its Boeing order – and it is sourcing four more this year, to give it 20 in total.
Over the summer it expects to operate 40 aircraft on its passenger network, with 18 737 Max jets complementing the 13 757s, along with three Boeing 767s and, for domestic and regional operations, six Bombardier turboprops.
Two of the additional four 737 Max aircraft will arrive in the fourth quarter.
Icelandair is expanding its passenger network this year with a 15-20% hike in capacity, adding four new destinations – Detroit, Barcelona, Prague and Tel Aviv – to give it 54 in total.
Last year the carrier transported 3.6 million passengers with an average load factor of 79.7%.
