Heading to Wales – Iceland’s PLAY announces new series of flights to Cardiff

by AvioBlog · 18 Aprile 2024

Icelandic low-cost operator PLAY Airlines has opened ticket sales for a new series of flights to Cardiff, the capital city of Wales. Operating twice a week, on Mondays and Fridays, over a short six-week period, the inaugural flight is scheduled due depart Reykjavik-Keflavik Airport (KEF) for Cardiff (CWL) on October 10, 2024, with the final flights of the series departing each city on November 20, 2024.

The special short series of flights has been curated by PLAY to coincide with the UEFA Nations League matches between Iceland and Wales, in addition to the October half-term week in the United Kingdom. Football supporters from Wales will have the benefit of direct flights from their capital to watch their team play Iceland’s national side in Iceland on October 11, 2024. Later on, the return fixture will see the teams face each other once again in Cardiff on November 19, 2024.

“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. Those who choose to fly with us will have a safe, reliable, and enjoyable travel experience to their destination,” said Einar Örn Ólafsson, PLAY´s CEO.

PLAY Airlines’ latest route to Europe will offer travelers the convenience of direct flights to Keflavik, Iceland’s gateway to Reykjavik, enabling exploration of Iceland’s stunning landscapes, including its lagoons and glaciers. Alternatively, passengers using the new service can also opt for onward connections via Iceland to PLAY’s four US destinations, namely New York/Stewart (SWF), Boston (BOS), Baltimore/Washington (BWI) and Washington-Dulles (IAD) as well as Toronto (YYZ) in Canada.

“The service gives our customers in Wales and the southwest of England the opportunity to enjoy Iceland’s incredible natural wonders, including waterfalls, geysers, hot springs, glaciers, and Northern Lights,” said a Cardiff Airport statement.

Additionally, in March 2024, PLAY introduced a self-bookable stopover option in Iceland for transatlantic routes, allowing travelers to spend up to 10 days exploring Iceland before catching their connecting flight at no additional cost. According to the carrier, “This feature presents customers with a unique opportunity to enrich their journey by discovering multiple bucket-list destinations within a single trip.”

PLAY flew its inaugural flight in June 2021 and currently operates a fleet of 10 Airbus A320neo family aircraft, made up of six A320neos and four A321neos. The average age of PLAY’s aircraft is just over two years, making it one of Europe’s youngest airline fleets.  

During its short life so far, PLAY has quickly become a major player on the European low-cost airline scene. The addition of this new route to and from Cardiff brings the carrier’s eastbound network from Iceland to 37 destinations, stretching from Tenerife (TFS) in the Canary Islands to Athens (ATH) in Greece.  