Iceland’s PLAY reported a total of 109,956 passengers in July, a 25% increase from the previous month.
In June, the budget carrier carried 87,932 passengers. The airline said in a statement that the number of passengers who flew with it in July was more than the entire 2021.
The budget carrier attributed the positive growth to the addition of the transatlantic hub and spoke model connecting cities across the UK and Europe with the United States.
July was also the first full month of operations for PLAY following its ramp-up from spring into summer with six aircraft operating to 25 destinations on both sides of the Atlantic.
On-time performance (OTP) in July was 79%, which the airline said was “satisfactory” given the number of brand-new destinations and staff shortages at airports.
Birgir Jónsson, CEO of PLAY, said: “It’s been great seeing so many new destinations and the full transatlantic network come into play over the past few weeks, and the positive effect it has had on our network.
“Our team achieved a very impressive on-time performance in the month despite a very challenging situation at many airports, a true achievement.”
“We continue to see our unit cost (ex-fuel CASK) being below our targeted 4$ cents, fuel prices are decreasing, unit revenue (RASK) is rising, and our future booking flow is strong.
“It has been truly inspiring for me to take part in and witness the great team spirit and the professionality of all my colleagues across all functions at PLAY and how all their hard work and dedication are driving the success of our airline.
“These are all factors that fill me with enthusiasm and anticipation for the coming months and the long-term future of PLAY.”
PLAY is now operating three Airbus A321neo and three Airbus A320neo aircraft, in line with the company’s business plan and fleet strategy.
The airline will take delivery of four new A320/321neo aircraft next winter, bringing the fleet to a total of 10 aircraft in service from spring 2023.
For more information, please visit flyplay.com.
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