Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY Airlines is set to utilise part of its fleet outside of Iceland with the airline applying for an operating license in Malta.
This process is expected to be completed in the first of 2025 with the airline planning to move its first aircraft under the new Maltese AOC to Tenerife - from where it will be operated to Reykjavik and Akureyri in Iceland - and to a number of other destinations in Europe.
"Since PLAY's inception, we've observed shifts in the market, and it is our view that the via-route network is no longer as profitable as it once was. As a result, we have decided to adjust our business model, which will take effect around mid-2025,” said Einar Örn Ólafsson, PLAY’s CEO.
He continued: “PLAY remains the airline of choice for Icelanders, and we aim to increase our share in the local market. In short, we will focus on the aspects of our business that have proven both successful and profitable—namely, transporting passengers between Southern Europe and Iceland.”
PLAY expects to operate either six or seven of its aircraft on its Icelandic AOC and either three or four on the Maltese AOC.