Iceland’s PLAY airlines said its decision to lease one of its aircraft to Miami based aircraft, crew, maintenance, and insurance (ACMI) provider GlobalX, resulted in January traffic decreasing by 11% in comparison to the same month of 2024.
In October 2024, PLAY announced plans to lease one its Airbus aircraft to GlobalX, with operations scheduled between November 1, 2024, to March 15, 2025.
The airline carried 87,000 passengers in January 2025, compared to 99,000 recorded during the same month of the year prior.
“Winter months pose significant operational challenges, but our team remains committed to maintaining strong punctuality, ultimately enhancing passenger satisfaction and reducing operational costs,” commented Einar Örn Ólafsson, PLAY’s CEO.
PLAY’s load factor during the month was 72.9%, down from 74.8% in January 2024. The airline cited an increased focus on leisure destinations in Southern Europe as a reason for the decline.