Icelandair to hire three Boeing 737-800s with own crews

Icelandair is hiring three Boeing 737-800s next summer to provide sufficient capacity. Just like other users of the type, the airline must keep its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft on the ground until at least mid-2020.

Aircraft manufacturer Boeing expressed the expectation on Tuesday that the troubled 737 MAX will be on the ground until the summer. Due to two fatal accidents, there has been a worldwide flight ban on the MAX since the spring of last year.

This causes many troubles for users and future customers of the type who cannot use their ordered and delivered aircrafts.

Icelandair has six planes of the Boeing 737 MAX type. These aircraft have been standing still for months, so that pilots had to be fired. The loss of the MAX came as a surprise last year, but now the Icelandic airline is well prepared.

In addition to hiring three Boeing 737-800s, which are flown by their own crews, a few Boeing 757-200s remain in the fleet longer than planned.