Hekla Aurora

Hekla Aurora   ★

#MyStopover

TF-FIU

B757-256

Icelandair

2014-

TF-FIU is proudly displaying Aurora Borealis or Northern Lights seen over Icelandic mountains, a phenomenon that can only be seen when getting closer to the poles in Winter. The scheme is part of the airline's #MyStopover campaign aimed at promoting stopover tourism in Iceland for US & Canadian travellers going to Europe via the KEF hub or vice versa. The aircraft was known as Hekla before the special scheme as Icelandair aircraft are named after Icelandic volcanoes, and logically became Hekla Aurora afterwards.

Although it might seem like giant decals of mountain scenery have been applied to the belly of plane, the whole aircraft was actually painted by a team of skilled airbrush artists specially hired for the occasion. Each of the airbrush artists was allocated a portion of the plane and reproduced the pattern commisioned by Icelandair. A unique LED ceiling has also been installed onboard the plane to allow mood lighting in the colors of the aurora borealis.

The aircraft has since been used for different events including a low pass over Hallgrimskirkja church in downtown Reykjavik for the city’s annual Winter Lights Festival. Although there's always uncertainty in the schedule of a particular airframe, you can request to fly onboard Hekla Aurora on the airline's dedicated webpage.

Images  ©  Olivier Mouhot (CDG & ORY)
Tags   Original Artwork, Tourism