National Geographic Leases Icelandair Boeing 757

DALLAS - National Geographic has leased an Icelandair (FI) Boeing 757-200 to operate its luxury round-the-world tours.

The 2000-built jet, registration TF-LLL (MSN 29307), has been repainted in a National Geographic livery. Its cabin has also had a complete makeover. Usually, the airline's 757s are configured with 184 seats, 20 in its premium cabin called "Saga Class" and 164 in Economy.

The aircraft now has just 80 premium seats, of which only 75 are sold to passengers.

The aircraft was then flown from the FI's Homebase of Reykjavík–Keflavík Airport (KEF) to Seattle Boeing Field (BFI) on the first leg of its three-week global tour.

Once in a Lifetime Tour

Operated in collaboration with The Wall Street Journal, a team of world-renowned experts from National Geographic is onboard the jet, which makes calls at Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Finland, and Iceland before arriving in Washington, D.C. three weeks later.

Icelandair had already worked with National Geographic on its round-the-world tours before the COVID pandemic.

The airline had previously utilized a 1994-built Boeing 757, TF-FIS (MSN 26245) to operate the flights. This airframe has now been converted to a freighter operating for Amerijet International (M6).

Icelandair has a fleet of 18 Boeing 757-200s, eleven of which are in active service, plus two of the larger Boeing 757-300s. The type has been a staple of the carrier's fleet since the 1990s, and the airline plans to announce its replacement within the next 12 months.

Featured Image: TF-FIS started life with Iberia (IB) before joining FI in 2003. Photo: National Geographic.