Flights from Liverpool had been due to commence for a short season later this week
Liverpool John Lennon Airport (Image: LIVERPOOL ECHO)
Icelandic airline PLAY has today ceased operations, and all flights have been cancelled with immediate effect. The move is expected to leave thousands of passengers stranded and approximately 400 employees facing job losses. The announcement comes after just four years in operation.
An announcement on its website says: “Dear passenger, Fly PLAY hf. has ceased operations, and all flights have been cancelled. We kindly advise you to check flights with other airlines. Some carriers may offer special “rescue fares” considering the circumstances.”
PLAY has told passengers to contact card issuers for tickets booked with credit cards, while those with bookings as part of larger tour packages should reach out to their travel agent.
PLAY was set up in July 2019, and launched flights from its hub at Keflavík International Airport, Reykjavik, in June 2021. In June of this year, Travel Gossip reported PLAY was scrapping flights between Liverpool and Reykjavik in November 2025, as part of a business restructure.
The winter-only Liverpool-Reykjavik service, introduced in 2022, had been due to commence for a short season later this week, on October 3, until November 29.
PLAY also operated between London and Reykjavik, although before today’s announcement there were no seats on sale after November 1.
When it was announced that PLAY would be operating from Liverpool, Birgir Jónsson, PLAY CEO said: “Iceland’s extraordinary scenery, rich wildlife and bustling beer scene makes for an epic weekend away and we can’t wait for those in the North West region of the UK to come and experience it.
“We hope that football mad Icelanders will be welcomed much the same as they travel to Liverpool in search of the famed atmosphere of Anfield and Goodison Park.”
The PLAY inaugural flight arrives at Liverpool John Lennon Airport, greeted by a water arch from Firefighters(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)
In a statement released on Monday morning, September 29, the company’s board revealed a number of reasons for the decision, including a history of weaker-than-expected financial performance and a recent sharp decline in ticket sales.
The board said: “The board of Fly Play hf. has decided to terminate operations, and all of the company’s flights have been cancelled. The company will work closely with authorities and employees to implement the necessary steps for winding down operations.
“There are many reasons behind this decision. The company’s performance has long fallen short of expectations, ticket sales have been poor in recent weeks and months following negative media coverage, and internal disagreements among some employees regarding strategic changes have further strained the situation.”
Details revealed by the board were about changes that could not deliver results needed. They added: “Last fall, Play introduced a new business model that initially inspired significant optimism.
“Unfortunately, it has now become clear that these changes cannot deliver the results needed to overcome the airline’s deep-seated financial troubles. In hindsight, these measures would have needed to be implemented much earlier.”