Iceland’s newest low-cost airline, PLAY, has today announced its newest route between London and New York Stewart International Airport (SWF), bringing the total number of US destinations to three, alongside Boston and Baltimore/Washington.
Ticket sales begin today, with the first flight departing on 10 June 2022.
Transatlantic flights to New York will depart from London four times a week (Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday), with a 1 hour and 35 minutes layover in Reykjavik.
Birgir Jónsson, PLAY CEO, said: “After we learnt of the surge in the area surrounding New York Stewart and the benefits it offers, we did not hesitate in snapping up the chance to operate from this airport. New York is a critical location for both European tourists looking to explore Manhattan, and American travellers heading to the 22 destinations we fly to including Iceland, Paris, Dublin, and more. The low fares and flexibility that passengers experience at Stewart International Airport are exactly what passengers seek when they book their travel with PLAY. We anticipate strong bookings in 2022, and with New York as our third U.S. destination, PLAY passengers will have more choices when booking last-minute trips, work-cations, and spontaneous adventures.”
Though Stewart airport is further away from Manhattan than JFK and Newark, it takes passengers approximately an hour less to get there thanks to the time saved getting through airport customs, compared to the much lengthier processes at JFK and Newark. In addition, faster transport routes by taxi, bus, and train, including Metro North, Amtrak, or Newburgh-Beacon-Stewart Link, mean travelling from Stewart is faster and more convenient.
Landing fees at Stewart airport are 80% cheaper compared to other airports in New York. In additional, with less air traffic at the airport, PLAY´s aircraft will spend less time taxiing on the ground and holding, which saves fuel, expenses and emission.
PLAY will be the first international carrier at New York Stewart International Airport since 2019, and its passengers will be the first to benefit from the recently constructed, $37 million international arrivals and U.S. Customs expansion.