Hekla Aurora lives on as numbered keyrings

Icelandair’s Hekla Aurora aircraft has been dismantled in Spain, but parts of the popular plane are being sold as numbered keyrings, mbl.is reports.

The aircraft was taken out of service in October 2025 as part of Icelandair’s fleet renewal. The airline has partnered with Aviationtag to produce 25,000 tags from the aluminium cladding of the aircraft’s fuselage.

The tags are available in different colours, depending on which part of the distinctive fuselage they were cut from. Each carries the aircraft’s registration number, TF-FIU, and prices start at 39.95 euros, or about 5,700 Icelandic krónur.

Icelandair will also give away 10 tags and is asking people to share memories of flying on Hekla Aurora or seeing the northern lights.

Guðni Sigurðsson, an Icelandair information officer, told mbl.is that the response had been strong. Aviationtag said sales had probably never started better, he said, adding that some colours had already sold out.

“But more stock will be arriving soon. We have had a great partnership with Aviationtag, and they say this is one of the most beautiful aircraft they have worked with,” Guðni said.

The aircraft was dismantled at the end of its service life so that whatever could be reused would be put to use and the remaining materials handled appropriately. That led to the idea of working with Aviationtag, which makes souvenirs from well-known aircraft.

The tags are black, blue, green or combinations of the colours associated with the northern lights, reflecting where the material was located on Hekla Aurora’s fuselage.

Hekla Aurora was particularly popular among aviation enthusiasts and photographers around the world. Guðni said few, if any, aircraft had been photographed as extensively.

Its popularity was especially clear when it completed its service with Icelandair with a special sightseeing flight over Iceland in October last year. Many international visitors travelled to Iceland specifically to fly on the aircraft for the final time.

The Boeing 757 was decorated with northern lights on its exterior, while the passenger cabin featured special LED lighting designed to imitate the spectacle.

Icelandair has not decided whether another aircraft will receive a similar design. Guðni said newer aircraft can use 20 to 30 per cent less fuel than older ones, and that fleet renewal was partly driven by this consideration.