DALLAS — PLAY Airlines (OG) reported a strong performance for March 2024, achieving its highest winter load factor and a significant increase in passenger numbers compared to the same period last year.

The low-cost carrier (LCC) carried 142,918 passengers in March, a commendable 65% increase from the 86,661 passengers they transported in March 2023. A load factor of 88.1% accompanied this growth; the highest OG has ever achieved in a winter month.

"We had acceptable load figures in March with the early Easter period more than balancing out the negative impact of the seismic activities towards the end of 2023. The high summer season is ahead of us, and we look forward to breaking more records in PLAY's history," said Einar Örn Ólafsson, PLAY CEO.

Iceland Traffic Rebounds

The passenger breakdown reveals a positive trend for Iceland's tourism industry. While 25.6% of passengers originated from Iceland, around 36% were explicitly flying to Iceland as a destination. This indicates a rebound in travel interest following inaccurate global news coverage regarding seismic activity in late 2023.

The LCC’s hub-and-spoke network at Keflavík International Airport (KEF) continues to perform well, with 38.4% of passengers connecting pax (VIA). OG connects 36 destinations in Europe and North Africa and five in the United States and Canada.

On-Time Performance

PLAY further solidified its March figures for reliability by achieving a 94% on-time performance in March, placing it among the industry leaders. "I am extremely proud of our team, and our on-time performance in March shows the level of professionalism that my colleagues possess," stated Ólafsson.

The LCC reported strong demand across its leisure destinations, with Alicante (ALC), Lisbon (LIS), Madrid (MAD), Barcelona (BCN), and Tenerife (TFS) all recording load factors near 90%.

Similarly, high load factors were seen in major European cities like London (LON), Berlin (BER), Paris (CDG), and Copenhagen (CPH), all exceeding 90% load factor. Dublin (DUB) and Amsterdam (AMS) rounded out the list with nearly 90% load factor.

New Destinations Announced

PLAY increased its network by announcing two exciting new routes in March: Madeira Island (FNC) and Marrakech (RAK). PLAY's inaugural flight to PAK will touch down on October 17, and service will operate twice weekly on Thursdays and Sundays.

This will mark the first-ever scheduled flight connection between Iceland and Africa, with just over five hours travel time. OG will also commence weekly service to FNC on October 15, departing on Tuesdays.

With a record March and exciting new destinations on the horizon, OG appears well-positioned for a strong summer season and continued growth.