Icelandic Airline PLAY Ceases Operations
Low-cost airline PLAY Airlines announced this Monday that it is immediately ceasing operations and canceling all its flights. The Board of Directors explained that the measure is a response to prolonged poor financial performance, a recent drop in ticket sales, and staff discontent following changes in corporate strategy.
A Failed Rescue Plan
In the autumn of 2024, PLAY introduced a new business model aimed at stabilizing its operations and returning to growth. The proposal sought to pivot from its original strategy, which was centered on a transatlantic hub model from Keflavik International Airport, similar to that of Icelandair.
The restructuring involved reducing its US network to three cities—New York Stewart, Boston Logan, and Baltimore-Washington—and shifting its focus towards routes in Europe and the Canary Islands. Furthermore, the company returned its Icelandic Air Operator Certificate (AOC) to operate under its Maltese subsidiary, also relocating administrative functions to Malta and Lithuania.
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Despite these measures, the board admitted that the changes failed to overcome the accumulated problems over time. It even acknowledged that the strategy was implemented too late to reverse the situation.
Consequences for Passengers and Employees
The cessation of operations leaves thousands of travelers forced to reorganize their return plans and means the loss of jobs for some 400 workers. PLAY also acknowledged that its commercial partners will suffer financial losses as a result of the shutdown.
“The Board and management of PLAY emphasize that every possible effort was made to achieve a different outcome. This decision is the most painful imaginable in this situation and has only been taken because all other options were exhausted. The Board offers its sincere apologies to all those affected,” the company said in a statement.
Founded in 2021 as the successor to WOW Air, PLAY aimed to connect Europe and North America via Keflavik. It grew rapidly in transatlantic and European routes but never managed to achieve sustained profitability in an environment of high competition and elevated operating costs.
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