News

Arnar Már Magnússon, captain and one of the founders of PLAY, will once again take over as Chief Operations Officer (COO) at PLAY. A position held by Arnar until a little over a year ago when he decided to return to the pilot’s seat full-time.

PLAY, the low-cost carrier from Iceland, has announced the addition of Amsterdam to its summer schedule in 2023. The airline's first flight to Schiphol Airport is scheduled for June 5, with up to five flights per week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Sundays.

PLAY´s Annual and Sustainability Report for 2022 has been published in advance of the Company´s Annual General Meeting which will be held on March 7th at 16 pm in Iðnó , Vonarstræti 3, 101 Reykjavík.

PLAY Airlines has launched ticket sales for flights from Iceland and the U.S. to Glasgow International Airport in Scotland. The airline's inaugural flight to Glasgow will take off on Friday, May 26, 2023. With flights scheduled four times a week on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays, Glasgow will now be fully connected to PLAY's North American routes.  

In February 2023, PLAY carried 63,949 passengers and the load factor was 76.9%. 31% of passengers were traveling from Iceland, 37% were traveling to Iceland, and 32% were connecting passengers (VIA). In February, 84.2% of PLAY’s flights arrived on schedule.

Adrian Keating has joined PLAY’s Commercial team as Executive Director Sales- and Marketing, effective from March 1. Adrian brings over 20 years of international aviation experience with some of the world's most recognized brands in aviation.

PLAY’s load factor and revenue base improved throughout 2022. PLAY’s load factor was 79.7% for the full year and 80.3% in Q4. In 2022, PLAY carried 789 thousand passengers.

PLAY airlines has launched ticket sales for flights from Venice in Italy. PLAY will operate two flights a week on Thursdays and Sundays from June 29 to October 1 in 2023. 

Bologna is also in PLAY´s route network for the summer of 2023. The city was one of PLAY´s most popular destinations in 2022.

PLAY carried 61,798 passengers in December 2022 which is more than five times the number of passengers PLAY carried in January 2022. The load factor in January was 76% compared to an 82.8% load factor in December.

PLAY is excited to announce the launch of daily flight ticket sales to Toronto-Hamilton Airport in Canada, with the first flight scheduled for June 22. This new route will offer connections to 15 destinations in Europe, making it PLAY's fifth destination in North America.

PLAY carried 74,620 passengers in December 2022 which is more than four times the number of passengers PLAY carried in December 2021. The load factor in December was 82.8% compared to a 79.1% load factor in November. Routes to and from London, Paris, and the Canary Islands were very popular with a load factor of around 90 percent.

PLAY continues to expand and has now added four new destinations to its network. These include the Danish cities Aarhus, Aalborg and Billund. As well as the great business city Düsseldorf in Germany. These destinations fit perfectly with PLAY’s transatlantic route to its North American destinations.

PLAY airlines has selected MOST, makers of technology for a world on the move, to provide it with onboard retailing and payment solutions, including software, hardware and payment gateway services. Working with MOST will allow crewmembers to accept secure payments quickly and easily from passengers onboard the aircraft. 

PLAY carried 75,396 passengers in November 2022 which is more than four times the number of passengers PLAY carried in November 2021. The load factor in November was 79.1% compared to an 81.9% load factor in October. Routes to and from London, Paris, and Tenerife were very popular with a load factor of around 90 percent. 

PLAY airlines has launched ticket sales to Warsaw, the capital of Poland.

The first flight will be on April 3 2023. PLAY will operate two flights a week until the end of October 2023 on Airbus A320neo.

CAPA says that PLAY´s management has opted for growth at a sensible rate and avoiding the introduction of widebodies and flights into alternative geographical markets. PLAY has also positioned itself for the future with technology and sustainability as two key pillars of its business strategy.

PLAY has launched ticket sales for Hamburg in Germany and Arlanda airport in Stockholm, Sweden.

Flights to Stockholm will begin on March 31, 2023, and to Hamburg  on May 16, 2023. Both destinations are seasonal and will end in October 2023.

PLAY carried 91,940 passengers in October. The load factor was 81.9% compared to an 81.5% load factor in September. 

35.1% of the passengers were passengers traveling from Iceland, 28.5% were traveling to Iceland and 36.3% were connecting passengers (VIA).

Fly Play has today collected binding subscription commitments for newly issued shares from its investors.

The Investors will subscribe for a total of 157,534,247 shares with the price per share being ISK 14.6.

PLAY had an operating profit (EBIT) in Q3, with a load factor of approx. 85% and around 311 thousand passengers flown. PLAY expects passengers to be around 800 thousand in 2022 and between 1.5 to 1.7 million in 2023.

PLAY has launched ticket sales for flights to Athens  (Athens International Airport) in Greece. PLAY´s first flight to Athens will be June 2, 2023, and will operate two flights a week until then end of October 2023.

PLAY carried 92,181 passengers in September, a decrease from August when PLAY carried 109,956 passengers. In September, the load factor was 81.5% compared to an 86.9% load factor in August and 87.9% in July. 

PLAY has launched ticket sales for direct flights between Iceland and the city of Porto in Portugal. Flights will begin in April 2023 and will be operated twice a week throughout October 2023. 

In the summer of 2022 PLAY has successfully launched many new destinations and seen very positive development of the existing destinations on the European side of the network.

PLAY has advertised positions for 150 flight attendants for the airline’s growth next summer. PLAY is also advertising positions for 55 pilots. PLAY welcomes applications from experienced as well as inexperienced crew members.

PLAY expects to carry around 800 thousand passengers in 2022 and report revenue of approx. USD 150-160 million.

PLAY carried 109,956 passengers in July, a 25% increase from the previous month when PLAY carried 87,932 passengers. The number of passengers in July is more than all flown passengers in 2021.

As of today, August 3, 2022 a new eruption has begun in the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system in the Reykjanes peninsula.

Carbon Removal is an integral part of our sustainability strategy along with CO2 reduction and circular economy principles. We have gone through a rigorous process in selecting carbon credit projects and set clear and strict criteria when choosing a portfolio of carbon credits.

PLAY carried 87,932 passengers in June, a 55% increase from the previous month when PLAY carried 56,601 passengers. In June, the load factor was 79.2% compared to a 69.6% load factor in May.

The recognition was given by Festa Center for Sustainability, The Iceland Chamber of Commerce and Stjórnvísi. This recognition is both encouraging and confirms the importance for PLAY to build a solid sustainability policy from the beginning of operations.

PLAY carried 56,601 passengers in May, a 54% increase from the previous month when PLAY carried 36,669 passengers and almost the same number of passengers PLAY flew in January, February and March (Q1) combined. In May, the load factor was approximately 70%.

During Q1, the main focus was on preparing for the airlines‘ operational ramp-up before the summer schedule and the hub-and-spoke operation, including hiring and training new employees, preparing 15 new destination airports, and adding to the fleet.

PLAY carried 36,669 passengers in April, which is a 55% increase from the previous month when passengers were 23,677.

We had our inaugural flight from Keflavík International airport to Prague airport yesterday evening. We got such a warm welcome from Prague airport that we are still smiling.

A major milestone was reached in PLAY´S history today when its inaugural flight departed today from Keflavík International Airport to the United States of America. The destination is Baltimore/Washington International where PLAY will operate flights daily from now on.

PLAY carried 23,677 passengers in March, which is a 20% increase from the previous month when passengers were 19,686. The load factor in March was 66.9%. PLAY is heading into a strong spring and summer as strong booking trends continue.

PLAY´s annual report for 2021 has been published in advanced of the company´s annual general meeting which will be held on April 6 at 4 pm in Iðnó, Vonarstræti 3, 101 Reykjavík.

PLAY has added two new destinations to its schedule for winter 2022 and 2023 with flights to Liverpool in England and Geneva in Switzerland.

PLAY customers can now compensate for their CO2 footprint of their flights with solutions that remove carbon from the atmosphere. This is one part of the PLAY sustainability journey.

Despite the challenging business environment PLAY anticipates the latter half of 2022 to yield a positive EBIT margin as its transatlantic hub-and-spoke operation becomes operational. PLAY had 16.4 million USD in revenues last year and the net loss for the year was 22.5 million.

PLAY carried 19,686 passengers in February with a load factor of 67.1%, increasing from 55.7% in January. The surge of COVID-19 infections at the end of 2021 due to the spread of the Omicron variant had a negative impact on booking inflow. As a result, PLAY’s schedule was adjusted in January and February 2022.

As of midnight February 25, 2022, all restrictions regarding COVID-19 in Iceland have been lifted. That includes rules on isolation, quarantine, testing and boarding procedures.

Anna Fríða Gísladóttir has been hired as Director of Marketing at PLAY. She will lead PLAY’s marketing strategy and continue building awareness of the company that has been on a steep rise these past few months.

PLAY carried 13,488 passengers in January with a load factor of 55.7% an increase from 53.2% in December. A surge in COVID-19 cases in the past months caused hesitation amongst passengers to book their travel, and PLAY adjusted its schedule and reduced capacity in January to reflect this

PLAY has launched ticket sales to New York in the United States. PLAY´s first flight to New York will be on June 9 and PLAY will operate daily flights. PLAY will fly to New York Stewart International Airport and will be the only airline to operate international flights from the airport. This will be a major benefit for the millions of people living in the area surrounding the airport and the local tourism industry.

During PLAY‘s first six months in operation, the airline flew 101,053 passengers on more than 1,000 flights. Considering the challenging environment with the pandemic and the performance of other start-up airlines in Europe and North America, we consider the 53.2% load factor for the year very satisfactory.

PLAY has launched ticket sales for flights to and from Boston and Washington, D.C. in the United States. Flight service from Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI) will begin on April 20, 2022, and service from Boston Logan International Airport (BOS) will begin on May 11, 2022.

PLAY has launched a new Internet Booking Engine which is the first milestone in PLAY´s ambitious digital progress. The new IBE was developed by PLAY in collaboration with AviLabs and Mito Digital.

PLAY carried 16,689 passengers in November and the load factor was 58.3%, compared to 67.7% in October. A new rise in COVID-19 cases in mid-November in Iceland and the European markets served by PLAY inevitably scaled down a highly positive trend in demand for the month. 

PLAY has added three new destinations to its summer schedule for 2022 with flights to Dublin in Ireland, Madrid in Spain and Brussels in Belgium. PLAY will operate flights three times a week to Dublin, starting at the end of April, three times a week to Brussels starting in May and two times a week to Madrid starting in June.

PLAY has signed an agreement with China Aircraft Leasing Group Holdings Limited (CALC), a major international aircraft lessor for two new A320neo aircraft. The aircraft will be delivered to PLAY next week and will be fitted and painted as per PLAY’s specifications.

PLAY has added four new destinations to its summer schedule for 2022 with flights to Bologna in Italy, Stuttgart in Germany, Prague in the Czech Republic, and Lisbon in Portugal. Flights to Lisbon and Prague will begin in May. Flights to Bologna and Stuttgart in June.

During Q3, PLAY focused on a safe and successful operational ramp up of the airline and the company has gained momentum, strength and market share very quickly. Load factor in July was 41.7%, and PLAY carried 9,899 passengers during its first whole month of flight operation.

PLAY will release its financial results for the third quarter of 2021 on Thursday, November 4. Note that the report is published one day before previously announced due to Capital Markets Day being held in Copenhagen on November 5.

PLAY has hired Rakel Eva Sævarsdóttir as a Director of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). Rakel Eva will implement PLAY’s sustainability and CSR strategies, defining the company’s goals related to environmental issues, governance, and operation. Rakel Eva will be joining PLAY in early November.

PLAY received the Equality Scale from the Icelandic Association of Women Business Leaders yesterday. The Equality Scale is awarded to businesses that have an equal gender ratio in their executive level positions.

PLAY has added three new destinations to its summer schedule for 2022 with flights to Gothenburg in Sweden twice a week as well as Stavanger and Trondheim in Norway, also twice weekly.

In September, PLAY carried 15,223 passengers. The load factor was 52.1%, compared to 46% in August. The improved load factor reflects recovering demand both to and from Iceland.

The Icelandic low-cost airline PLAY has advertised positions for 100 flight attendants for the airline’s growth next summer. PLAY will also be advertising positions for 50 pilots next week. This marks the largest hiring yet for PLAY and it will double the number of employees.

PLAY has added Amsterdam to its winter schedule. Flights will be twice a week, Mondays and Fridays. The inaugural flight to Amsterdam will be on December 3rd.

PLAY has signed an agreement with GECAS, a major international aircraft lessor for three A320neo and one A321NX narrowbody aircraft. The aircraft are scheduled to be delivered between autumn 2022 and spring 2023.

PLAY will release its financial results for the second quarter of 2021 on Thursday, August 31. CEO Birgir Jónsson and CFO Þóra Eggertsdóttir will present the company’s results on Wednesday, September 1, at 8:30 a.m.

PLAY has applied for a permit and exemption authority with the US Department of Transportation to launch services to the United States in 2022.

July was the first operational month for PLAY and, as such, was a success. 

PLAY’s main objective was to begin operation in a safe and trustworthy manner while focusing on the satisfaction of passengers. A key indicator of that success is the fact that PLAY had the highest on-time performance of all airlines operating to and from Keflavik Iceland in July, with 96.2% of all PLAY flights arriving on schedule.

As of Thursday July 29, PLAY will not bring passengers to Iceland unless they have valid proof of a negative COVID-19 test.

A very successful share offering by Play finished today, Friday 25 June 2021, at 16.00.

Today at 16:00 a public offering of in total new 221,906,800 issued shares in Fly Play hf. finished.

Fly Play hf. has published a Company Description in relation to the proposed admission to trading of all of the issued shares of the Company on Nasdaq First North Growth Market Iceland. The Company Description has been reviewed by Nasdaq Iceland hf. and has been drawn up under the responsibility of the Issuer.

It’s safe to say that PLAY’s new uniforms belong to a new era of cabin crew uniforms. Our uniforms were designed by designer couple Gunni Hilmars and Kolla who were keen to tackle a fresh take on what is usually a very traditional line of clothing.

Since PLAY was founded in 2019, the aim of the company has been to provide a low-cost alternative for consumers traveling to and from Iceland, as well as across the Atlantic and to become a key player in the Icelandic tourism sector.

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Nadine Guðrún Yaghi, Director Communications

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