Iceland Express to reduce carbon footprint with Boeing planes

Two Boeing 737 aircraft will begin flying for budget airline Iceland Express from September, using up to 40% less fuel than the current MD90s.

Icelandic low-fare carrier Iceland Express signed an agreement last week which will see the introduction of two Boeing 737-700 aircraft on its scheduled flight service connecting Iceland and 14 European airports.

Iceland Express says the new Boeing planes are more environmentally friendly, economical and reliable than the MD90 aircraft currently in use. The 737 aircraft are expected to use up to 40% less fuel per hour, greatly reducing the company's operating costs and carbon footprint.

The agreement marks a turning point for Iceland Express, as in the future all planes flying for the company will either be Boeing 737 or 757 models. The airline says this will help improve its ability to maintain its aircraft and train its crew.

Astraeus Airlines, Iceland Express' associate company, will own and operate the new aircraft and will replace the MD90 aircraft that it has operated for Iceland Express up until now.

Emphasising the importance of the event, Mark Norris, sales director for Boeing in Europe, came to Iceland especially to sign the agreement. CEO Shaun Monney signed on behalf of Astraeus Airlines and CEO Matthias Imsland for Iceland Express.

Iceland Express is Iceland's only budget airline and connects Iceland with 14 European cities, including London, Berlin and Copenhagen. This year the airline started flights to Warsaw, making it the first airline to operate non-stop scheduled flights from Iceland to Poland and Eastern Europe.

For more information on Iceland Express and low cost flights to Iceland, visit www.icelandexpress.com

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