LONDON – On January 10, Iceland’s leading low-cost airline, PLAY, announced its newest route between London Stansted and Liverpool John Lennon to Toronto’s John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport.
The North American network
The news of the UK route services follows closely after the airline’s recent announcement of the inauguration of flights to Toronto. The destination marked PLAY’s first Canadian route and its fifth North American destination.
With ticket sales now open, with the first flight departing on 22 June 2023, the London and Liverpool services will open up affordable air travel for Britons travelling to Toronto via Reykjavik, Iceland, for as little as £209 (one way if booking return flight).
To celebrate the launch of its very first Canadian service, PLAY is offering a special introductory rate until midnight on 31 January 2023 of £169 on flights departing from London Stansted or Liverpool John Lennon, making a bucket list trip to Toronto more affordable than ever.
Transatlantic flights to Toronto will depart from London five times a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday), and from Liverpool twice a week (Thursday and Sunday) with a 70-80-minute layover in Reykjavik.
PLAY CEO comments
Birgir Jónsson, PLAY CEO, said: “I have been eagerly anticipating the launch of ticket sales for flights to Canada, as it will be a major market for us at PLAY.”
“Our services in North America have been met with great success, and I am excited to be able to offer more people the opportunity to travel between North America, Iceland, and Europe at affordable prices.”
“Toronto, with its population of approximately 8 million, will greatly expand our market reach as people there will now have a reliable and cost-effective way to reach our many destinations in Europe and Iceland.”
Summary
PLAY continues to see success, carrying 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 the most popular, with a load factor of around 90 percent. 40% of all passengers were connecting passengers who travelled transatlantic (VIA).
Last year saw the Icelandic carrier steadily consolidating and bolstering its European route networks. Outside of Europe the North American sector represents the next stronghold for the airline.
The opening of the New Year has already seen it add Canada to its list of North American services. 2023 will be an interesting year for PLAY as it moves forward from a solid and satisfying close to 2022.
PLAY’s load factor in December was higher than all other publicly listed airlines in Scandinavia, showing the effectiveness of the PLAY network and its commercial activity.
