Low-cost Airline Play — Known for Its Cheap Flights to Europe — Is Scaling Back U.S. Service

21.10.2024 - 16:37 / travelandleisure.com / Einar Örn Ólafsson

Low-cost Icelandic airline Play will cut back on flights to the United States following “disappointing” profits.

The airline, which had expanded to serve five destinations in North America since launching in the U.S. in 2022, will now “significantly cut back its capacity” in the region, according to Play. The airline said it has already started to scale back and will continue doing so into 2025.

«Since PLAY's inception, we've observed shifts in the market, and it is our view that the via-route network is no longer as profitable as it once was. As a result, we have decided to adjust our business model, which will take effect around mid-2025,” Einar Örn Ólafsson, Play’s CEO, said in a statement. “In short, we will focus on the aspects of our business that have proven both successful and profitable — namely, transporting passengers between Southern Europe and Iceland.”

The airline pointed to an increase in supply in the North American market, which it said has negatively affected its financial results. 

The carrier’s plan is to decrease the number of North American destinations it flies to by mid-2025. It was not immediately clear what that would look like.

A representative for Play did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Travel + Leisure.

Currently, Play operates flights to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI), New York’s Stewart International Airport (SWF), Boston Logan International Airport (BOS), Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD), and John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM) near Toronto.

Play first started flying in Europe in 2021 before launching its first flight from the U.S. the next year. The airline, which is known for frequent sales and inexpensive, bare-bones tickets, has operated a „hub-and-spoke model“ in which all flights connect through Reykjavik before heading on to other destinations across Europe.

Play flies an Airbus fleet, including the A321neo and A320neo aircraft. As a low-cost airline, the carrier charges per flight leg for everything from checked bags to food and drinks.

In addition to cutting back in North America, Play said it will also look to decrease the number of destinations it serves in Northern Europe and instead focus on leisure markets in Southern Europe.