Travellers who never had a chance to fly Icelandair’s Hekla Aurora – and those who did but want to make the pleasure last just a little longer – can now own a piece of the iconic aircraft.
The Boeing 757-200, which was retired last October after more than a decade sporting a spectacular Northern Lights livery, has been given a second life as a limited edition of 25,000 keychains made from its fuselage.
In partnership with Aviationtag, a German company that turns parts of retired aircraft into collectibles, Icelandair decided to ensure the work that went into recreating the Aurora Borealis across the aircraft did not disappear with its retirement.
The livery was designed by a team of specialist artists who used intricate airbrushing techniques to reproduce the Northern Lights as realistically as possible, blending shades of green, turquoise, blue and deep midnight across the fuselage.
After Hekla Aurora was retired, it was stored in Lleida, Spain. An Aviationtag team spent the summer there, cutting hundreds of sections from its fuselage in temperatures often exceeding 40°C.
The pieces were subsequently transported to the company’s workshop in Cologne for sorting, polishing, cutting and laser engraving with their unique edition number.
“An aircraft like Hekla Aurora doesn’t come along every day. Its livery, its history, and the connection people feel to it are simply extraordinary,” said Tobias Richter, co-founder of Aviationtag.
He added that the company wanted to make sure “a piece of it would live on”.
The 25,000 tags are being sold individually at €39.95 a piece. According to the company, the complexity of the original livery means that “no two pieces look exactly alike”.
“Last year we farewelled a beloved member of our fleet: Hekla Aurora, the Boeing 757 painted in the colours of the northern lights”, Icelandair wrote on social media, adding that “saying goodbye to such beauty wasn’t easy”.
The airline explained that the decision to collaborate with Aviationtag was prompted by a desire to preserve the aircraft’s livery.
Collectors will already have their eyes on the sets of nine or fourteen, sold for €409.35 and €634.30. Icelandair is also giving away 10 tags to fans who have been asked to share their best memories of flying on Hekla Aurora or seeing the Northern Lights in Iceland.
Hekla Aurora began its career with Iberia before flying for Air Europa. It joined the Icelandair fleet in 2004 and remained a rather unremarkable Boeing 757 until 2014, when it was flown to Norwich, United Kingdom, and revamped with its distinctive Northern Lights livery as part of the airline’s #MyStopover campaign.
It quickly became a favourite among plane-spotters around Europe and North America.
We’re proud to introduce the new Aviationtag × Icelandair Hekla Aurora Edition — crafted from the original fuselage of the legendary Boeing 757 TF-FIU Hekla Aurora:
— aviationtag.com (@aviationtag_com) September 8, 2026
https://t.co/9C1Fa3Mer5#aviationtag #heklaaurora #icelandair #boeing757 #boeinglovers #icelandaircrew pic.twitter.com/frwqCcC4r7
On 12 October 2025, Hekla Aurora made its final flight, taking 140 passengers, including aviation enthusiasts who had travelled from abroad, on a sightseeing farewell tour over Iceland. By then, it had accumulated more than 80,000 flight hours since its maiden flight in April 1994.
Fun and hip liveries aren’t unique to Icelandair: EVA Air has had Hello Kitty planes, and JetBlue its Super Mario-themed jet.
Nor is upcycling plane parts into accessories. Air France sells keychains made from leather headrests and wallets made from lifejackets. Worldshop sells parts from across the Lufthansa Group, which includes Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa, Austrian and Swiss.
Icelandair had planned to phase out its 757 fleet by summer 2027, but elevated fuel prices have brought that timeline forward. The last of the type is now expected to leave the fleet this winter.
