newstodate.aero

Mar 23, 2020 (newstodate): Besides the shortfall of traffic due to the coronavirus, Icelandair has also long suffered from shortage of capacity due to the sustained grounding of the Boeing 737 MAX fleet.
   The MAX aircraft were intended to cover 27 percent of Icelandair’s passenger capacity in 2019, so the suspension of the MAX fleet had an unprecedented impact on the operations of Icelandair in 2019.
   To cover for the shortfall, Icelandair is reactivating  two Boeing 757-200 aircraft as well as extending the operating life of four units.
   Icelandair will thus retain 22 Boeing 757 for the coming season against only 19 as envisaged in the earlier plan that assumed the delivery of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
   Icelandair is also to wet-lease three Boeing 737-800 aircraft, which is a novelty in the airline's fleet.
   The first of these three aircraft has now been delivered on a wet-lease contract with the Slovakian carrier Air Explore.
   The aircraft, manufactured in 2004, was first operated by the Danish carrier Sterling Airways until the demise of the airline in 2008.