Icelandic flag carrier Icelandair has retired its Boeing 757-256 featuring a special Northern Lights livery after nearly 10 years in the skies.
The Boeing 757-256, known as ‘Hekla Aurora’, completed its last flight on October 12, 2025, the airline announced in a statement.
The aircraft, registered TF-FIU, operated as a special farewell flight, FI1100, which departed from Reykjavik Domestic Airport (RKV) at 12:00 local time and completed a 1 hour and 30-minute scenic flight over Iceland.
The airline noted that the jet would “fly low” over the route to afford passengers optimum visibility, including sights of some of Iceland’s famous natural landmarks.
Post the farewell flight at RKV airport. pic.twitter.com/cOTJkKTTQi
— Runólfur Þór (@runnithor) October 12, 2025
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”. There were 40 passengers on board the aircraft, according to Icelandair.
Some passengers from the final flight have shared their experiences on social media. One of them remarked that the interior lighting inside the aircraft beautifully mimicked the aurora borealis.
Was lucky enough to fly on her once – even the lights inside were like the aurora! pic.twitter.com/FNJjnWO8Vd
— Jen Riskus (@jriskus) October 12, 2025
Retiring the 757: a new chapter for Icelandair
The uniquely handpainted Boeing 757 was introduced as ‘Hekla Aurora’ back in 2015. It made its first flight on February 4, 2015, departing from Reykjavik Airport, with its inaugural journey celebrated over the city and the illuminated Hallgrímskirkja church. Since then, the aircraft has flown across the Atlantic every day of the year.
According to the carrier’s official website, ‘Hekla’ is a traditional Icelandic girl’s name and refers to one of the country’s most famous volcanoes, while ‘Aurora’ is a reference to the northern lights.
Currently, Icelandair is slowly retiring its Boeing 757 aircraft with special liveries that represent elements of Icelandic nature, replacing them with Airbus A321LR and A321XLR models.
In a recent development, the airline retired its ‘Flying Glacier’ Boeing 757, which was painted in the Vatnajökull glacier design, back in September 2025.
