Icelandic low-cost carrier (LCC) PLAY has announced seasonal flights connecting its hub in Keflavík to Split, in Croatia. It will be the LCC’s first destination in Croatia, and the airline says it is the first time scheduled flights are operated between the two cities.
Flights, to start on May 28 and to be operated every Tuesday, are already available on PLAY’s sales channels. The route also connects to PLAY’s Transatlantic destinations in Canada (Toronto/Hamilton) and the United States (Baltimore, Boston, New York/Stewart and Washington).
«Split is a dream destination for us at PLAY. It has beautiful landscapes and a vibrant culture», stated PLAY’s CEO, Birgir Jónsson, in a press release.
«I have no doubt this will be one of our most popular destinations this year. Everywhere we go, we give the competition a run for their money. We want to make travel more affordable and I am sure our Split services will be well received by people who want to visit our beautiful country of Iceland».
According to the press release, PLAY expects to serve around 40 destinations this year. Its fleet, as per Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer, is currently composed of six Airbus A320neo and four A321neo, all of them leased.
Having launched its operations in 2021, PLAY has recently announced that it carried 1.5 million passengers in 2023, registering a load factor of 83.4%. The passenger mix, it said, stood at 26.7% of passengers originating in Iceland, 32.3% with their final destination in Iceland and 41% connecting through its hub.
The airline’s full-year financial results for 2023 have not yet been released, although in the third quarter of last year — seasonally the strongest in Europe — it registered its first net profit.
In its post-Summer presentation to investors, which preceded the volcanic activity that disrupted tourism in Iceland, PLAY said it expects its 2024 capacity by ASKs to be 15 to 20% higher than in 2023. It did not expect its fleet to grow, although it said it would wet lease an aircraft for the Summer season.
