PLAY has launched ticket sales to New York in the United States. PLAY´s first flight to New York will be on June 9 and PLAY will operate daily flights.
PLAY will fly to New York Stewart International Airport which is an approx. a 75-minute drive from Times Square in Manhattan. While New York Stewart is visibly further away from Manhattan on a map than JFK Airport and Newark Airport, the time it will take passengers to get from these airports to Manhattan is nearly the same.
New York Stewart Airport is a small airport with no international traffic since Norwegian abandoned the airport in 2019. Now the Nordic countries are investing mainly in the airport, with traffic from both PLAY and the Norwegian Norwegian Atlantic Airways, which will start traffic from Oslo in Norway.
The cost of operating at New York Stewart Airport is significantly lower than other airports in New York, making it possible for PLAY to offer the lowest fares between New York and Europe. Because of less air traffic at the airport, PLAY´s aircraft will spend less time taxiing on the ground and in holding patterns, saving fuel, operating expenses, and emissions.
“This is a significant development for New York Stewart International Airport and the region and customers it serves,” said Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port of New York and New Jersey.
“The addition of PLAY’s international service is important in realizing our post-pandemic vision for New York Stewart as a leading regional provider of both international and domestic air service and as a generator of strong economic growth.”
With a short transfer in Iceland, PLAY creates an opportunity for secondary cities in Scandinavia to cross the Atlantic at a low price. This is PLAY´s third destination in the United States as flights to Baltimore / Washington will begin in April and service to Boston will commence in May. This is an important expansion to PLAY´s market area as transatlantic flights will be a major factor in its business model. These three US destinations will open up new routes to Iceland, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Brussels, Trondheim, and Gothenburg in Europe in the spring.
”After we learned of the economic growth and the attractions in the area surrounding New York Stewart and the benefits the airport has, we did not hesitate and believe that this is a great opportunity. This decision enables us to offer the lowest prices on flights between New York and Europe as we get a good deal being the first airline operating international flights from the airport. Passengers traveling through New York Stewart have many comfortable transportation options from the airport to all directions, not to mention how friendly and efficient it is to use for our passengers. There is also a lot of expectations and excitement for PLAY´s operations at New York Stewart among the local economy and various stakeholders in the area “says Birgir Jónsson, CEO of PLAY.
PLAY will operate flights to 25 destinations in the US and Europe in 2022. PLAY will have six new Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft in operation by summer. The Airbus A320 family suits PLAY´s operations particularly well because of its fuel efficiency, which translates into lower carbon emissions. Also, the Airbus A320 family has the size and range flexibility to reach small and large markets close by and far away.
(Photo: PLAY)
