Icelandic low cost carrier PLAY Airlines has announced flights to New York. New York will be the airline’s third destination in the United States after Baltimore/Washington and Boston.
Low-cost flights to New York
Starting 9th June 2022, PLAY Airlines will operate daily flights between Reykjavik’s Keflavik International Airport and New York Stewart International Airport. The flights will run with the following schedule:
- Reykjavik-New York
- Departure time: 15:15
- Arrival time: 17:35
- Flight time: 6 hours and 20 minutes
- Flight number: OG121
- Frequency: Daily
- New York-Reykjavik
- Departure time: 18:45
- Arrival time: 04:40
- Flight time: 5 hours and 55 minutes
- Flight number: OG122
- Frequency: Daily
Flights will be operated by Airbus A320neo family aircraft. PLAY will be the only airline to operate international flights from New York Stewart International Airport. The airline says that this will be a major benefit for the millions of people living in the area surrounding the airport and the local tourism industry.
Related: Singapore Airlines to operate twice-daily nonstop flights between Singapore and New York
Rick Cotton, Executive Director, Port of New York and New Jersey, said:
This is a significant development for New York Stewart International Airport and the region and customers it serves. The addition of PLAY’s international service is important in realizing our post-pandemic vision for New York Stewart as a leading regional provider of both international and domestic air service and as a generator of strong economic growth.
PLAY says that this is an important expansion to PLAY’s market area as transatlantic flights will be a major factor in its business model. These three US destinations – New York, Boston and Baltimore/Washington – will open up new routes to Iceland, Paris, Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, Brussels, Trondheim, and Gothenburg in Europe in the spring. And passengers will also be able to connect from these destinations to the US and vice-versa via Reykjavik.
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New York Stewart International Airport
The cost of operating at New York Stewart Airport is significantly lower than other airports in New York, making it possible for PLAY to offer lower fares between New York and Europe. Because of less air traffic at the airport, PLAY’s aircraft will spend less time taxiing on the ground and in holding patterns, saving fuel, operating expenses and emission. This aligns well with PLAY’s strategy of offering the best possible prices.
The airport is approximately a 75-minute
drive from Times Square in Manhattan. While New York Stewart is visibly further away from
Manhattan on a map than John F. Kennedy International Airport and Newark International Airport, the time it will take passengers to get from these airports to Manhattan is nearly the same. New York Stewart is a small airport with shorter lines and waiting times at security, customs and baggage claim. Exiting the airport takes about 30 minutes or less, and transport to the city is easy and accessible. Buses are the cheapest option to get to Manhattan from New York Stewart, and PLAY says that they are timed with arrivals/departures of its flights.
Interesting, the airline states that the total time from landing at New York Stewart Airport until arrival in Manhattan can take up to 2 hours, while a similar journey can take up to 2 or 3 hours through JFK and Newark since waiting.
Growing population in the area
PLAY states that the growing population in the Hudson Area will help with its flights. Hudson Valley has seen a surge in population in the past few years and tops the charts in growing areas of New York.
The area around New York Stewart Airport has a lot to offer. Woodbury Commons, one of the largest outdoor outlets in the world, is a 25-minute drive from the airport. It has 220 stores and many of the same brands one would expect to find at Madison Avenue in Manhattan. Last year, the world’s largest Legoland opened in the area, only 25 minutes from the airport.
Birgir Jónsson, CEO, PLAY Airlines, said:
After we learned of the economic growth and the attractions in the area surrounding New York Stewart and the benefits the airport has, we did not hesitate and believe that this is a great opportunity. This decision enables us to offer the lowest prices on flights between New York and Europe as we get a good deal being the first airline operating international flights from the airport. Passengers traveling through New York Stewart have many comfortable transportation options from the airport to all directions, not to mention how friendly and efficient it is to use for our passengers. There is also a lot of expectations and excitement for PLAY’s operations at New York Stewart among the local economy and various stakeholders in the area.
PLAY will operate flights to 25 destinations in the Europe and the United Statesin 2022. It will have 6 new Airbus A320neo and A321neo aircraft in operation by summer 2022.
Featured image by PLAY
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