Icelandic carrier PLAY has experienced a 42% uplift in passengers for November 2023, handling 107,236 passengers.
Load factors at the carrier have decreased from 79% to 74.5%, however, which the airline attributed to the seismic activity in the Reykjanes peninsula.
On-time performance was recorded at 88.9% for last month as well. Without further ado, let’s get into it…
PLAY Experiences 42% Uplift in Passenger Numbers…
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Unit revenue has grown by 54% in available seat kilometres, with average ancillary revenue also rising in 30% for November from PLAY, so things are looking good on that front as well.
CEO Birgir Jonsson had this to say on the results:
“In November, we saw our load factor being impacted by the awesome forces of nature here in Iceland when seismic activity, earthquakes, and the possibility of a volcanic eruption captured headlines around the world.”
“The town of Grindavík was evacuated on short notice, and the nearby Blue Lagoon, Iceland’s most popular tourist destination, was and still is, temporarily closed due to this uncertainty.”
“The demand for air travel, and specifically for Iceland as a tourist destination, was subsequently reduced in the short term.”
“This temporary cooldown of demand can be felt in our load factor data for the month of November and it’s clear that the same will apply for December as well.”
“In recent days, we have seen the demand returning to the market, which is very positive and reassuring for the coming months but a little too late for the short-term travel season, before Christmas and in the new year.”
“Iceland, however, is still very much open for tourists, and there has been no disruption of aviation at all. Now it looks like the situation has become more stable, and we at PLAY wish the very best for the people of the small town of Grindavík, where many of our colleagues and friends live, and we hope that they can return to their homes and normal lives as soon as possible.”
“I wish to thank the fantastic team of Players for their efforts and how they have reacted to this challenging scenario in the last few weeks. I’m always so proud to see the level of professionalism and dedication that our teams possess.”
All eyes will be on how the rest of the year goes for the carrier, as 2023 comes to a close.
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