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Icelandair to resume B737 MAX ops in late 1Q21

Icelandair (FI, Reykjavik Keflavik) has announced it will resume B737-8 operations on March 8, 2021, becoming the third European airline to do so after TUI fly (Belgium) and Smartwings (Czechia).

Ahead of the planned restart, the Icelandic flag carrier ferried two of its B737-8s, TF-ICN (msn 44356) and TF-ICO (msn 44358), back to Reykjavik Keflavik from storage at Lleida. It initially plans to use just two aircraft on its scheduled network, with the first flight slated for Copenhagen Kastrup.

A further two B737-8s and Icelandair's only B737-9 remain in storage at Lleida. Its fifth B737-8s has been stored at Reykjavik Keflavik airport.

According to the ch-aviation fleets advanced module, besides the six B737 MAX already delivered, Icelandair expects a further six units (three -8s and three -9s) on order from lessors with deliveries scheduled between March 2021 and February 2022. It leases all of its already delivered B737 MAX from SMBC Aviation Capital (three -8s), Bocomm Leasing (two -8s), and BOC Aviation (the -9).

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TUI fly (Belgium) resumes B737 MAX flights

TUI fly (Belgium) (TB, Brussels National) became the first airline east of the Atlantic to resume scheduled B737-8 operations on February 17, 2021.

OO-MAX (msn 44588), one of four B737 MAX 8s operated by TUI Group's Belgian unit, was reactivated for a test flight around Brussels National on February 15 ahead of its first revenue service to Malaga and Alicante on February 17, Flightradar24 ADS-B data shows.

Since March 15, 2019, the aircraft had been inactive with its last flight before grounding from Alicante to Brussels.

The carrier's three other B737 MAX 8s remain grounded, alongside the six that TUI Airways operates, TUI fly (Netherlands)'s trio, and TUI fly Nordic's pair.

Although the European Union Aviation Safety Administration (EASA) consented to return the B737 MAX to service in late January, albeit under strict conditions, the only other operator besides TUI fly to announce MAX resumption plans has been Smartwings (Czechia) (QS, Prague Václav Havel) which plans to resume commercial B737 MAX 8 flights...