Icelandair operated its first Airbus A320-200 (registration TF-IAT) into Dublin Airport this morning, marking both the airline’s first revenue A320 flight and a significant capacity upgrade on the Reykjavik–Dublin sector. Until now the carrier relied mainly on Boeing 757s and 737 MAX aircraft for Irish operations. The 174-seat A320 offers more seats and 15 % better fuel burn per trip compared with the ageing 757s, according to Icelandair’s fleet plan. The change allows the airline to boost winter frequency from two to three weekly rotations while keeping costs flat, a move welcomed by Irish tour operators targeting the fast-growing Northern Lights market. For business travellers, the A320’s wider cabin profile enables a refreshed Saga Premium product with larger pitch and full in-seat power, bringing the hard product closer to European competitors. Cargo users gain an extra 1.5 tonnes of belly capacity per flight, opening opportunities for Irish seafood exporters to reach North-American markets via Keflavík connections. Dublin Airport Authority (daa) said the new narrow-body fits within existing stand configurations and supports the airport’s sustainability targets thanks to lower CO₂ per seat. Icelandair has four further A320-family aircraft on order and signalled that additional Irish regional services could follow if the trial proves successful. Travel-management companies should update client profiles to reflect the different seating maps and ancillary-fee structures that now apply on FI 418/419 services.
