Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

They used 757s back then and the flights to Washington D.C. were to BWI not IAD. In 1984 I flew LUX-KEF-DTW on a DC-8-63CF

Ah interesting to know, thanks for answering so fast!

LUX was their biggest destination in Europe for a long time. I think it had to do with Luxembourg granting them rights to fly to the US when nobody else did, at fares lower than IATA-mandated fares (yes, IATA set the fares back in tbe 60s, 70s and 80s). I seem to remember that FI even ran coaches to several European cities (FRA, PAR and BRU, unless I am mistaken). Icelandair (Loftleiđir back then) was THE low-cost airline on TATL.

Thanks for the info, wouldn´t have guessed.

I believe that it was in 1990 or 1991 at the latest that Icelandair retired its last DC-8. The 757, which was a new airplane then, was the DC-8 replacement.

When did FI get rid of their super Dc8s ?

Bobloblaw wrote:

When did FI get rid of their super Dc8s ?

Around the 1989 1990 time frame they were retired.

MalevTU134 wrote:

LUX was their biggest destination in Europe for a long time. I think it had to do with Luxembourg granting them rights to fly to the US when nobody else did, at fares lower than IATA-mandated fares (yes, IATA set the fares back in tbe 60s, 70s and 80s). I seem to remember that FI even ran coaches to several European cities (FRA, PAR and BRU, unless I am mistaken). Icelandair (Loftleiđir back then) was THE low-cost airline on TATL.

Yes I took the Icelandair coach from LUX to FRA

Yes, My brother and sister in law took Icelandair to LUX as it was the cheapest and closest to where her German relatives live.

Going back into the 1950s and 1960s, Loftleiðir flew the route using DC-6s. Before that, I believe that they even used DC-4s. It was a very slow multi-stop route across the north Atlantic. My (possibly faulty) memory tells me that at one point the eastbound route was NYC-Gander-Reykjavík-Prestwick-LUX. But the fares were exceptionally low.. The low fares made Loftleiðir the choice for American and Canadian students heading for summer holidays in Europe (with a knapsack full of clothing, a student Eurail pass, and a copy of "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day"). The other option was a student ship, which were very small, very crowded, and very slow (often taking 10 days or more for the crossing).

MalevTU134 wrote:

LUX was their biggest destination in Europe for a long time. I think it had to do with Luxembourg granting them rights to fly to the US when nobody else did, at fares lower than IATA-mandated fares (yes, IATA set the fares back in tbe 60s, 70s and 80s). I seem to remember that FI even ran coaches to several European cities (FRA, PAR and BRU, unless I am mistaken). Icelandair (Loftleiđir back then) was THE low-cost airline on TATL.

Indeed you are correct. By flying into LUX they were able to circumvent IATA's fares and offer much more affordable passage over the North Atlantic. During the 70s & 80s they were the airline for those on a truly thin budget, such as young American backpackers on their first trip to Europe. They even flew the very rare pax version of the CL-44 turboprop back in the 60s, before progressing to the DC-8-63.

This little gem of a video shows Loftleiðir's Flight 401 in the early 60s from KEF to JFK.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8rIspW1vgE

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

Loftlieder was flying JFK/BWI-LUX n/s during the 80's, Here's something to check out, it looks like they had at least one DC-10 in 1979, look at the images down to 1979 & you'll see an FA standing in front of what is obviously a DC-10 tail. On this same page, there is a 1974 timetable that shows their route map.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.html

RWA380 wrote:

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

Loftlieder was flying JFK/BWI-LUX n/s during the 80's, Here's something to check out, it looks like they had at least one DC-10 in 1979, look at the images down to 1979 & you'll see an FA standing in front of what is obviously a DC-10 tail. On this same page, there is a 1974 timetable that shows their route map.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.html

Your link doesn't seem to work.

MalevTU134 wrote:

RWA380 wrote:

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

Loftlieder was flying JFK/BWI-LUX n/s during the 80's, Here's something to check out, it looks like they had at least one DC-10 in 1979, look at the images down to 1979 & you'll see an FA standing in front of what is obviously a DC-10 tail. On this same page, there is a 1974 timetable that shows their route map.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.html

Your link doesn't seem to work.

Sorry about that, http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.htm

Here is that 1974 route map - http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages ... 7404-5.jpg

A past thread on FI & LUX - viewtopic.php?t=236889

An article that is announcing BWI-LUX n/s service on the stretch DC-8's - https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/ ... edirect=on

A 1974 article on JFK - LUX - https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/07/arch ... vivor.html

An Orlando Sentinel article from this month referring to MCO-LUX n/s service - https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os ... story.html

Didn't International Air Bahamas fly a NAS-KEF-LUX flight in the early 70's?

RWA380 wrote:

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

Loftlieder was flying JFK/BWI-LUX n/s during the 80's, Here's something to check out, it looks like they had at least one DC-10 in 1979, look at the images down to 1979 & you'll see an FA standing in front of what is obviously a DC-10 tail. On this same page, there is a 1974 timetable that shows their route map.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.html

I can't see a nonstop on that route map...

EvanWSFO wrote:

Didn't International Air Bahamas fly a NAS-KEF-LUX flight in the early 70's?

Yes, click on my link, check out the 1975 timetable and you can see two routes from NAS to LUX n/s & what appears to be an Azores stop.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages ... 7404-5.jpg

RWA380 wrote:

EvanWSFO wrote:

Didn't International Air Bahamas fly a NAS-KEF-LUX flight in the early 70's?

Yes, click on my link, check out the 1975 timetable and you can see two routes from NAS to LUX n/s & what appears to be an Azores stop.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages ... 7404-5.jpg

Thanks

Regarding KEF-LUX, it was terminated around 2000 when FI started adding more European destinations. As others have mentioned, FI and their precedessor LL operated JFK-KEF-LUX, along with other routes here and there, for years going back to the 1950s on various aircraft types. The flight # was even the same for a long time as the JFK flight today, 614 eastbound and 615 westbound. It was the model that built the foundation and paved the way for Icelandair's and KEF's success as a connecting hub in recent years.

As a side note, Iceland Express briefly operated seasonal flights to LUX around 2010. Luxair actually operated 2-3x weekly flights last summer, but unfortunately they will not return this year.

RWA380 wrote:

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

Loftlieder was flying JFK/BWI-LUX n/s during the 80's, Here's something to check out, it looks like they had at least one DC-10 in 1979, look at the images down to 1979 & you'll see an FA standing in front of what is obviously a DC-10 tail. On this same page, there is a 1974 timetable that shows their route map.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.html

Loftlieder had one DC10-30CF in their fleet registration number N1035F which was delivered to the airline on the 01 March 1979, it was originally delivered to Overseas National Airways entering service with that airline on the 08 September 1978.

The aircraft didn't stay long operating for Loftlieder and went to Garuda on the O1 November 1979, to Air Florida on the 11 March 1980, sold to Spantex 16 September 1982 and re-registered as EC-DCF, sold to FedEx on the 04 May 1984 and re-registered as N304FE, first flight was on the 12 July 1978, I think the aircraft is still in service with FedEx making it nearly 41 years old.

Although their DC8-63CF's were regular visitors to LGW during the nineteen seventies the Loftlieder DC10-30CF N1035F was also seen at LGW during the summer of 1979 fairly regularly having seen it myself on a few occasions and I believe that LGW might have been an extension from LUX as part of the airline's transatlantic flights.

Loftlieder was also internationally known as Loftlieder Icelandic from 1973 to 1979 with the flight code HF.

Loftlieder was a privately owned airline that was originally formed in 1944, in 1973 the two Icelandic airlines ''Flugfelag Islands'' and ''Loftlieder'' merged to form what we now know as Icelandair, Loftlieder was kept as a subsidiary of Icelandair but ceased operations in late 1979.

There are numerous photos online of this particular aircraft wearing the Loftlieder livery as well as the later short lived ''Icelandic Loftlieder'' light blue colour scheme, the aircraft did look rather smart wearing the original Loftlieder livery.

EvanWSFO wrote:

Didn't International Air Bahamas fly a NAS-KEF-LUX flight in the early 70's?

\

No they just flew LUX-FPO-NAS-LUX those flights never originated at KEF. There was also a LUX-BGI flight flown by International Caribbean with a DC-10 that was a Laker subsidiary

Was this ever flown on the Boeing 737-400, which was entering service around 1990 for FI alongside the Boeing 757-200? (FI at the time was receiving a direct order of 4 B734s and 3 B752s, although one was leased to Britannia to start - it later placed a top-up order for 4 more B752s and 1 B753 before leasing and buying other secondhand 757s). FI had a lot of older planes then, but the B734s and B752s were the new kids on the block then, with the 727s retired by 1990.

The B752s received around 1990 and 1991 are still in service for FI (1 re-registered in Cabo Verde for traffic rights, but still FI owned).

BTW, when did FI start using 614/5 for the JFK flight? (An earlier daytime flight used 612/3, and seasonal extra-sections today use 616/7).

When Loftleidir first started operations after the end of WWII several aircraft types were utilised on domestic flights including the DC3. The DC4 arrived in 1947 with the first international flight from Reykjavik to Copenhagen taking place on the 17 June 1947 which is Icelandic National Day.

When the DC6 arrived in 1959 the DC4 gradually left the fleet. In 1964 Loftleidir started operating it's first CL-44D-4, two years later in 1966 the first of four new CL-44J's arrived, a variant of the CL-44D-4 stretched on request by Canadair.

Loftleidir was the only passenger operator of the Turbo-Prop which was used by a cargo plane by other operator's, it was the largest passenger plane flying over the Atlantic Ocean at the time carrying upto 189 passengers. Loftleidir marketed the CL-44J as the ''Rolls Royce 400 PropJet''.

In 1970 Loftleidir entered the jet age when they received the first of two DC8-63CF aircraft, in 1971 the airline started flying between Iceland and Scandinavia using the smaller DC8-55.

There is an excellent photo that I've seen somewhere on Flickr taken in colour showing a Loftleidir CL-44J along with two CL-44D-4's one each from IAS Cargo and Tradewinds all lined up together on the former cargo apron at LGW which was taken sometime in the mid seventies.

Cunard wrote:

RWA380 wrote:

alweov wrote:

Hey everyone,

I just had an interesting discussion with someone who went to the US in the early 90s (91-93) due to work. He told me he requently took the route LUX-KEF and then either Washington DC or Boston with Iceland Air. Does anyone here know which aircrafts they used back then? 767s? Besides, LUX-KEF is an interesting route for sure, doesn´t exist anymore as far as I know.

There are numerous photos online of this particular aircraft wearing the Loftlieder livery as well as the later short lived ''Icelandic Loftlieder'' light blue colour scheme, the aircraft did look rather smart wearing the original Loftlieder livery.

You must be talking about the various DC-8s.

The sole DC-10 was flown in what were the Icelandair colors of the 80s, with both the Icelandic and Icelandair names. The DC-10 didn't stay for long enough for it to get another livery. Only around a year between 1979Q1 and 1980Q1. The grounding of all US registered DC-10s (which Icelandair's was) after the Chicago crash, less than 6 months after they took delivery and during high season, ruined any prospects of that. It almost grounded Icelandair.

Lapplander800 wrote:

Cunard wrote:

RWA380 wrote:

There are numerous photos online of this particular aircraft wearing the Loftlieder livery as well as the later short lived ''Icelandic Loftlieder'' light blue colour scheme, the aircraft did look rather smart wearing the original Loftlieder livery.

You must be talking about the various DC-8s.

The sole DC-10 was flown in what were the Icelandair colors of the 80s, with both the Icelandic and Icelandair names. The DC-10 didn't stay for long enough for it to get another livery. Only around a year between 1979Q1 and 1980Q1. The grounding of all US registered DC-10s (which Icelandair's was) after the Chicago crash, less than 6 months after they took delivery and during high season, ruined any prospects of that. It almost grounded Icelandair.

Yes I should have written that more clearly as I was referring to having seen the various DC-8s in the smart original Loftleidir livery, their sole DC10-30CF of course wearing the the new light blue colours of Icelandair Icelandic having never flown in the original livery.

I did state in my above post that the sole DC10-30CF N1035F didn't stay very long. I appreciate it that you've kindly quoted the time period plus the additional information and it shows that the aircraft was only with them for just under a year.

When N1035F left Icelandair Icelandic to join Air Florida the aircraft retained the light blue colour scheme with the addition of the Air Florida titles in black lettering, whilst with Air Florida N1035F would become a regular visitor to LGW on their daily flight from Miami.

aemoreira1981 wrote:

Was this ever flown on the Boeing 737-400, which was entering service around 1990 for FI alongside the Boeing 757-200? (FI at the time was receiving a direct order of 4 B734s and 3 B752s, although one was leased to Britannia to start - it later placed a top-up order for 4 more B752s and 1 B753 before leasing and buying other secondhand 757s). FI had a lot of older planes then, but the B734s and B752s were the new kids on the block then, with the 727s retired by 1990.

The B752s received around 1990 and 1991 are still in service for FI (1 re-registered in Cabo Verde for traffic rights, but still FI owned).

BTW, when did FI start using 614/5 for the JFK flight? (An earlier daytime flight used 612/3, and seasonal extra-sections today use 616/7).

Halifax was the only North American destination flown with the 737-400

Gemuser wrote:

ChinaClipper40 wrote:

Going back into the 1950s and 1960s, Loftleiðir flew the route using DC-6s. Before that, I believe that they even used DC-4s. It was a very slow multi-stop route across the north Atlantic. My (possibly faulty) memory tells me that at one point the eastbound route was NYC-Gander-Reykjavík-Prestwick-LUX. But the fares were exceptionally low.. The low fares made Loftleiðir the choice for American and Canadian students heading for summer holidays in Europe (with a knapsack full of clothing, a student Eurail pass, and a copy of "Europe on 5 Dollars a Day"). The other option was a student ship, which were very small, very crowded, and very slow (often taking 10 days or more for the crossing).

After the DC-6 came the Canadair CL-44 four engined turbo prop! Would I like to have done that! And CP YVR-SYD/AKL on the Britania!

Gemuser

Me too! I would have loved flying the big turboprop! It was such an elegant design..

I have seen pictures of the interior, and I frankly think it looked better than that of the DC-8. It had enclosed overhead bins, beautiful pearlescent side panels with wash lighting in a pink-ish hue, and semi-transparent plastic roll-down blinds a-la IL-62. Very cool!

Cunard wrote:

Loftleidir was the only passenger operator of the Turbo-Prop which was used by a cargo plane by other operator's

Tradewinds (LGW based?) also flew it in a pax-config sometimes, there is a photo of a set of steps leading right into a galley, with the swingtail open.

In 1984 I flew ORD-KEF-LUX on the DC8 as part of a 4 week European vacation, we even did the stopover in Iceland on the way home.

opticalilyushin wrote:

Cunard wrote:

Loftleidir was the only passenger operator of the Turbo-Prop which was used by a cargo plane by other operator's

Tradewinds (LGW based?) also flew it in a pax-config sometimes, there is a photo of a set of steps leading right into a galley, with the swingtail open.

London Gatwick based TRADEWINDS was formed in 1968 after the collapse of TRANSGBLOBE AIRWAYS.

Tradewinds acquired four CL44D4-1 aircraft through the collapse of Transglobe Airways and would later obtain two further examples to make a total fleet of six.

I had forgotten about Transglobe Airways being a previous passenger operator of the Turbo-Prop, although several of them retained windows when Tradewinds operated them I've never know them to have carried passengers whilst with the airline which was a cargo airline although the galley would probably have remained but I'm not doubting you as they probably did operate a few passenger flights during their time with Tradewinds.

After doing a search I've noticed that there are several photos online showing steps at the front and at the rear of some of Transglobe Airways and Tradewinds CL44's.

Even Seaboard World also had used the CL44 for passenger operations, another previous 'passenger' operator of the Turbo-Prop that I had forgotten about.

Seaboard World and Tradewinds, two cargo airline's that had both used their CL44's for passenger operations.

Now I'm wondering if any of the other operator's of the CL44 had ever used it for passenger operations, I suppose we can't really add the CC-106 Yukon flown by the Canadian Armed Forces.

I actually flew on the Icelandair DC-10 (My first widebody) in February of 1979, KEF-JFK as part of CPH-KEF-JFK-MIA-LIM. On the home trip we switched planes in KEF to an Icelandair 727-100. Our luggage did not, it stayed on the DC-10 and went to LUX. In August 1985 I flew Icelandair DC-8-71 N917R LUX-KEF-ORD, with an Icelandair bus connection form the Cologne train station to LUX. Great times and planes and even with the train ticket from Copenhagen to Cologne it was still the cheapest way to get to the US.

That was a good catch your first ever ride on a widebody and it being on the Icelandair DC-10-30.

DC8-71 N917R was leased by Icelandair from Overseas National Airways between 1983 and 1985.

The aircraft was originally built as a DC8-61 for Japan Airlines in 1970, sold to Overseas National Airways in June 1981, converted to a DC-71 in June 1982. Leased to Icelandair from August 1983 to December 1985 then converted into a freighter and sold to Emery Worldwide and as such was the last operator of the aircraft, it was finally retired in 2001.

[quote="Cunard"]That was a good catch your first ever ride on a widebody and it being on the Icelandair DC-10-30.

Thanks Cunard. We boarded via air stairs on the ramp at KEF. Not to often you see that today and then a DC-10. I remember standing by the boarding door (2L) in flight and looking out on that huge number one engine. Quite a sight for a 14 year old

I flew to TF-FLB and TF-FLU.

RWA380 wrote:

MalevTU134 wrote:

RWA380 wrote:

Loftlieder was flying JFK/BWI-LUX n/s during the 80's, Here's something to check out, it looks like they had at least one DC-10 in 1979, look at the images down to 1979 & you'll see an FA standing in front of what is obviously a DC-10 tail. On this same page, there is a 1974 timetable that shows their route map.

http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.html

Your link doesn't seem to work.

Sorry about that, http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages/fi.htm

Here is that 1974 route map - http://www.timetableimages.com/ttimages ... 7404-5.jpg

A past thread on FI & LUX - https://www.airliners.net/forum/viewtopic.php?t=236889

An article that is announcing BWI-LUX n/s service on the stretch DC-8's - https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/ ... edirect=on

A 1974 article on JFK - LUX - https://www.nytimes.com/1975/09/07/arch ... vivor.html

An Orlando Sentinel article from this month referring to MCO-LUX n/s service - https://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/os ... story.html

Great article. I had no idea Icelandair ever offered MCO-LUX without a stop in KEF. I'm sure the prices were cheap. I'm surprised there isn't more small European city service to MCO and SFB, but I guess it all flows through connections today.

Today the traffic doesn't all flow through connections to get to MCO and to a certain extent SFB as both airports have direct flights to many destinations in Europe.

MCO is well served with direct flights from it's largest market such as the United Kingdom with flights from,

British Airways from London Gatwick
Norwegian from London Gatwick
Virgin Atlantic from Belfast, Glasgow, London Gatwick, Manchester
Thomas Cook Airlines from Belfast, Birmingham, Glasgow, London Gatwick, Manchester

MCO is also well served from the rest of Europe with flights from,

Aer Lingus from Dublin
Air France from Paris CDG
Edelweiss Air from Zurich
Icelandair from Reykjavik
Lufthansa from Frankfurt
Norwegian from Copenhagen, Oslo, Paris CDG, Stockholm

SFB is predominantly used by TUI and is served from several destinations in the United Kingdom,

Birmingham, Bristol, Doncaster/Sheffield, East Midlands, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London Gatwick, Manchester, Newcastle

Plus

TUI Fly Netherlands from Amsterdam.

The United Kingdom is by far the largest market for MCO and SFB and both are well connected to various airports in the United Kingdom.

MCO/SFB from mainland Europe doesn't have the same sort of market as the United Kingdom hence why neither see any flights from smaller European cities and where the demand is it's more or less covered by the airline's and destinations that I have listed.

One market that's obviously missing at MCO/SFB is Italy but I'm sure that if there was any demand such flights would be available already especially from the likes of TUI.