Plane skins don't usually get a second act, but Hekla Aurora isn't an ordinary aircraft. Icelandair's Boeing 757-200 wore a hand-airbrushed aurora borealis livery from 2014 until its retirement on 12 October last year, becoming one of the most photographed jets in the sky. Rather than let it disappear entirely, the airline has partnered with Aviationtag to slice the retired fuselage into a limited run of keychains.
Each tag is cut from the original aircraft skin, so every piece carries a slightly different blend of the blues, greens and blacks that made the livery famous — Aviationtag points out that no two are identical. Prices start at €39.95 for a single keychain. Collectors who want more can buy a set of nine for €409.35 or a set of 14 for €634.30.
There's also a freebie route. Icelandair is giving away 10 tags to fans who share memories of flying on Hekla Aurora or of watching the Northern Lights in Iceland via comments on its social media pages.
The keychains join a growing market for upcycled aviation merchandise. Air France sells keychains made from leather headrests and wallets crafted from lifejackets, while Lufthansa Group's Worldshop turns recycled aircraft parts into everything from coasters and cufflinks to lamps and tables — including a bar built from an Airbus A320 window panel and an armchair made from an A321 nose section.
Why care? If you're an aviation fan, this is a rare chance to own a piece of one of the most recognisable special liveries of the past decade. And if you're heading to Iceland to chase the aurora yourself, a keychain cut from a plane painted in exactly those colours makes a fitting souvenir.