Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY Airlines to launch flights to Washington Dulles

Icelandic long-haul low-cost carrier PLAY Airlines will launch flights from Reykjavik’s Keflavik Airport (KEF) to Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) starting April 2023.

IAD Airport, which made the announcement, said that the flights will operate daily on PLAY’s fleet of Airbus A321 and A320 aircraft, each with 180 or more seats.

Founded in 2019 and with operations started in 2021, PLAY will be IAD’s 36th airline and its only low-cost carrier flying to Europe.

“As the international gateway to the Washington, D.C., capital region, Dulles International is committed to offering a wide variety of airline products for our local community to access global travel,” Paul Bobson, vice president for airline business development for the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority said in a statement dated August 23, 2022.

“As a low-cost airline operating flights to Iceland and the rest of Europe, PLAY will add significant capacity in the low-cost international market segment,” Bobson added.

Play CEO Birgir Jónsson said: “PLAY has had a strong summer since the beginning in the United States this year, and adding IAD is an important move for our growth in the region. Washington, D.C., is a key destination for both European tourists and American travelers, and expanding our service with flights from IAD will strengthen PLAY’s presence while giving passengers convenient and affordable flights.”

In April 2022, PLAY launched its first transatlantic flight to the US to Baltimore/Washington International Airport (BWI). Just weeks later, the airline launched its inaugural flight from KEF to Boston Logan Airport (BOS).