REYKJAVIK, Iceland, February 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ —
- Icelandair delivers the ethereal and elusive magic of the Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) to passengers worldwide with the Hekla Aurora plane.
- The launch of the Hekla Aurora is celebrated in Reykjavik with an Aurora inspired light illumination of the city’s Hallgrímskirkja Church.
- Icelandair’s Stopover service offers passengers the opportunity to stay in Iceland for up to seven nights at no additional airfare.
- The Hekla Aurora plane will be added to Icelandair’s fleet making appearances throughout the network.
Last night, Icelandair helped to alleviate the long days of darkness with the launch of an Aurora Borealis (Northern Lights) themed plane: the Hekla Aurora. The launch culminated in Reykjavik as the plane flew over an illuminated city’s Hallgrímskirkja Church as a prelude to the city’s annual Winter Lights Festival, which begins today.
The Hekla Aurora is part of Icelandair’s transatlantic fleet providing passengers with a guaranteed experience of the Aurora Borealis as part of the airline’s Stopover service. Icelandair offers a Stopover of up to seven nights in Iceland on all transatlantic flights at no additional airfare. The new plane features an onboard Northern Lights light show, and the Aurora Borealis painted on the exterior.
As the plane flew over Reykjavik city, passengers also experienced the dancing lights of the Aurora Borealis on board during the in-flight light show with Icelandic music as the soundtrack to the experience and a unique birds-eye view of the illuminated city’s Hallgrímskirkja Church below.
The plane landed at Reykjavik’s airport to a fanfare welcome as the locals came out in force to celebrate. They were also able to experience the plane for themselves as it was opened for public viewing for an hour.
To celebrate the launch of the plane and the magic of the Aurora Borealis, former Icelandair employees were invited to join the illuminating journey. Birta Líf Kristinsdóttir, a renowned Icelandic meteorologist and former Icelandair pilot, was on hand to bring the science alive by providing passengers with a talk on the natural phenomenon.
“Hekla Aurora provides an authentic Aurora Borealis experience to all those who fly on her. The on-board light show provides the perfect beginning to any transatlantic flight by showcasing the natural beauty of Iceland’s famous Northern Lights,” comments meteorologist, Birta.
Passengers on last night’s celebration flight departed from London Heathrow Terminal 1 and landed in Reykjavik airport to enjoy the Icelandair Stopover offering. Tomorrow they will be flying onwards to a transatlantic destination of their choice.
You can follow Hekla Aurora’s journey online at http://www.icelandair.us/hekla-aurora.
