Iceland’s PLAY drops its US routes

PLAY, Iceland’s low cost carrier, is dropping its flights to the United States after the summer.

PLAY served three airports – the little known New York Stewart, Boston Logan and Baltimore. Its strategy involved flying price-sensitive travellers from Europe via Reykjavik.

Flights to Washington and Hamilton (Toronto) were dropped earlier this year.

Of the 10 aircraft operated by the airline, the plan is for six to be wet-leased to other carriers. This means that we may see them popping up at Heathrow or Gatwick if British Airways continues to use third party airlines in peak summer months.

PLAY will operate just four aircraft under its own brand going forward, focusing on selected European routes to/from Iceland.

The airline is now a shadow of its former self. The management team has made an offer to take the company private and delist it, which will put long suffering shareholders – who have lost virtually all of their money if they invested at flotation – out of their misery.

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