Icelandic carrier Play is toying with a new destination – the Welsh capital, Cardiff.
The flights will commence on the 10th of October 2024, wrapping up after six weeks on the 20th of November. The flights will operate on Mondays and Fridays.
So, why such a limited service?
Football is the name of the game (and we’re talking about the game where you don’t carry a ball down a field, be it with padded protective clothing… or not). with the service coinciding with the upcoming UEFA Nations League matches between Iceland and Wales,
For those who aren’t football-obsessed, Play’s services could provide an easy trip to Iceland, or even to North America, using Play’s hub at Keflavik to connect to New York Stewart, Boston, Baltimore/Washington, Washington Dulles and Toronto, Canada. For those who prefer a multi-centre break, PLAY introduced a self-bookable stopover option in Iceland for transatlantic routes, allowing travellers to spend up to 10 days exploring Iceland’s wonders before catching their connecting flight, all at no additional co
In Quotes
Einar Örn Ólafsson, PLAY´s CEO said:
“I am confident that our Cardiff route will be well received. We boast a world-class on-time performance of 83% in 2023, the youngest aircraft fleet in Europe, and our cabin crew was voted the best by the readers of USA Today 10Best. Those who choose to fly with us will have a safe, reliable, and enjoyable travel experience to their destination,”
Filling a gap in the market need.
This is certainly a planned market capture service to serve passengers who are intent on watching football matches
It also temporarily fills a need in the long-haul market that Cardiff misses out on. Currently, Cardiff Airport has Aer Lingus Regional, BH Air, KLM, Ryanair, TUI and Vueling operating services out of the airport.
Out of all those carriers, TUI operates the long haul service to Barbados. Previously, the airport hosted a regular service to Qatar (which as of yet, as not been restored). Thus for those passengers who need to travel long-haul, it a choice of either taking a KLM flight to Amsterdam and connecting, or driving/train to London Heathrow/Gatwick.
Cardiff Airport also competes with nearby Bristol Airport – which again mainly handles short to mid-haul traffic.
Whilst this is very much event-focused traffic, it would be interesting to see if some people who take advantage to travel to Iceland and beyond – without the need to go to London or Amsterdam first.
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