LONDON – As PLAY reported a strong May 2022, the airline has also launched its third transatlantic route to New York Stewart International Airport.
May’s Numbers…
PLAY handled 56,601 passengers in the month of May, which was 54% compared to April when only 36,669 passengers were handled.
The Icelandic carrier was keen to boast a load factor of 70%, which is only two percent less than April, showing a layer of consistency in the carrier’s growth.
Birgir Jonsson, the CEO of PLAY had this to say on June 7 regarding the result:
“May is traditionally quite a challenging month in aviation as capacity is being ramped up for the peak summer season, but the demand is not very strong as the summer holidays have generally not begun.”
“Therefore, we are extra pleased to see such a strong load factor and a very significant growth in passenger numbers.”
“We continue to see PLAY grow and become stronger in the market and a strong sign is that in May, we flew with just as many passengers as we did in the whole of Q1.”
“It has been great to see the transatlantic network become a reality and the positive effect it has had on our business as well as our many new European destinations coming online.”
“We anticipate the coming months to be very positive for PLAY and our growth to continue. Launching New York this week is another significant milestone for us as we then complete the rollout of our U.S. destinations this year, although more destinations will be announced for next year.”
“These days we are also welcoming many new colleagues to the hugely professional PLAY team, and it is a true privilege for me to lead this great group of people on this journey,”
Stansted to Stewart In Full Effect…
Over the weekend, the carrier launched its third transatlantic route in its network, which was between London Stansted and New York Stewart International Airport.
New York becomes the third U.S destination to be served by the airline after Baltimore/Washington International and Boston Logan International Airport.
Jonsson said the following to Business Travel News Europe:
“Almost one year after our very first flight took off from Stansted to Reykjavik, we’re over the moon to have launched our third US destination from the UK.
“Play’s ticket sales sky-rocketed 338 percent in May 2022 when compared to January 2022, following the launch of our first flights to Baltimore/Washington and Boston, and the huge appetite for travel we’re experiencing across Europe.”
Overall…
PLAY continues to make leaps and bounds and is definitely making a name for itself, particularly in the United States as well.
As passenger numbers continue to increase, it is a clear indicator that the only way is up for the airline at present. PLAY is launching routes at a steady pace and is reaping the rewards of doing so.
With the airline continuing onwards into the Summer 2022 season, it will be interesting to see what passenger numbers will be like for June, July, and August in particular as more passengers get onboard an aircraft.
