Budget airline PLAY records 85% load Factor with 164,000 passengers travelling with the carrier in September.

85% Load Factor, 164,000 passengers & PLAY Cabin Crew wins USA Today Readers´ Choice Award

PLAY carried 163,784 passengers in September, which is a 77% increase from September 2022 when PLAY carried 92,181 passengers. The load factor in September 2023 was 85%, compared to 81.5% load factor in September 2022. PLAY had an on-time performance of 85.1%. in September 2023.

Of all passengers flying with PLAY in September 2023, 22.9% were departing from Iceland, 31.6% were travelling to Iceland, and 45.5% were connecting passengers (VIA).

Delivering such a good load factor in the month of September, which is historically a slow month in travel, is notable because PLAY increased its capacity considerably by adding four new aircraft to its fleet this spring.

Average ancillary revenue continues to rise for PLAY, being 23% higher in September 2023 compared to September 2022, and the trend is looking robust for the coming months.

PLAY Wins USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Award

PLAY´s flight attendants have been recognized as the best cabin crew by USA Today. PLAY was nominated by USA Today and readers and fans voted for the top 10 airlines. PLAY was selected as the #1 cabin crew after four weeks of voting.  PLAY´s cabin crew is known for a friendly, accommodating and helpful service during PLAY´s flights and this award is a true testament to their outstanding work. Among the airlines that were nominated were Virgin Atlantic, Fiji Awards, Southwest Airlines, Delta Airlines, Korean Air, British Airways, Emirates, Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific.

PLAY Delivers a USD 12 million profit in Summer 2023

PLAY  Airlines turned a USD 12 million profit over the summer months of 2023. It is the first time the company has reported profit from operations after tax at the end of the summer season. It shows that PLAY was a profitable company for the summer and that its business model is working well.

PLAY expects to carry around 1.5 million passengers in 2023 and forecasts carrying 1.8 million passengers in 2024. PLAY has secured two additional aircraft for the year 2025, which will expand its fleet to 12 A320neo family aircraft from Airbus and is looking into further capacity increases.

Birgir Jonsson CEO said:  “It´s great to see such a strong load factor for the month of September, which is historically a slow month in the aviation industry. We continue to perform well in our key markets after seeing solid financial results over the summer months of 2023 with revenue nearly doubling from last year and the airline delivering a net profit of $12 million in the same period.

For our cabin crew to win the USA Today 10Best Readers´ Choice Award is a massive achievement that makes us all very proud of our fantastic crew. It has only been just over two years since our inaugural flight and just over one year since our first flight to the USA. We know that our cabin crew is dedicated, prioritizes safety and customer satisfaction, and makes the on-board experience fun, and the recognition from USA Today 10Best is therefore well-deserved! We’re thankful for their hard work that makes PLAY stand out around the world.

We are looking forward to the coming winter season and I know that the whole PLAY team will keep up the good work and continue delivering good results for the company and an enjoyable experience for our passengers.”