The airline claims its load factor for the month was 87.2% and rather impressively, 81.2% of its flights arrived on time. Of all those carried, 29.8% of passengers departing from Iceland, 25.8% were travelling to Iceland, and 44.4% were connecting passengers travelling via Iceland.
In the first six months of the year, a total of 604,670 people travelled with PLAY, an increase of 154% from the same period in 2022 when 238,053 passengers travelled with the airline. In the second quarter of 2023, 392,325 passengers travelled with them, an increase of 117% from the same period in 2022 when 181,202 passengers travelled on PLAY's planes.
In June 2022, PLAY flew 87,932 passengers, which means June 2023 sees an 83% growth in passenger numbers from the same month last year. The June load factor also significantly improved since last year, from 79.2% in 2022 to 87.2% in 2023.
In June, and for the coming months, the demand from the USA is very strong with average yields significantly higher than last year. In June, the North American destinations performed very well, with a load factor of over 90%. The outlook for PLAY continues to be very positive, with continued high demand and increased revenue in key markets.
Youngest fleet in Europe and voted the best low-cost airline in Northern Europe.
PLAY welcomed its 10th aircraft in June. The aircraft is a brand-new Airbus A321neo and was delivered straight out of the Airbus factory in Hamburg, Germany. PLAY now has the youngest fleet in Europe, around 550 employees and serves nearly 40 destinations on both sides of the Atlantic.
In June, PLAY was awarded the title of the top low-cost airline in Northern Europe by the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards, which are based on customer satisfaction. PLAY is awarded this title within just two years of its inaugural flight. In addition to being named the best low-cost airline in Northern Europe, PLAY secured the tenth place on the list of Europe's best low-cost carriers.
Birgir Jonsson PLAY’s CEO:
“June was another record month for PLAY and marked the beginning of the summer vacation season in our key markets. We reached the milestone of receiving our tenth aircraft as well as successfully launching and relaunching 20 destinations in the run-up to summer. Our team has achieved the truly massive feat of successfully managing all this in addition to hiring and training around 200 new Players in the last few months. After a period of steep growth, we celebrated the second anniversary of our inaugural flight in June, as well as the fact that by having 10 aircraft in full operation we can now generate revenue in a healthy balance to our cost base, which has been difficult to do with fewer aircraft in the initial growth period during the last two years. The upcoming, and all-important, summer months continue to look very promising with very strong demand and increased yields and revenue in our key markets. The fact that PLAY was voted “The Best Low-Cost Carrier in Northern Europe” and came in tenth place on the list of the “Best Low-Cost Carriers in Europe” after only two years in the sky is a great acknowledgement of the fantastic job that all my teammates at PLAY are doing. I have no doubt that they will continue to do even greater things in the future.”
*PLAY flies to John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport (YHM). The airport is approx. 1 hour from downtown Toronto and is serviced by taxis, car hires, rideshares, such as Uber and Lyft, public transit via Hamilton Street Railway and a Megabus route that operates in tandem with PLAY flights, offering affordable daily direct service between Hamilton International Airport’s terminal building and Union Station located in the heart of downtown Toronto. Further information can be found on Hamilton Airport's official website.
