Low-cost airline to supply European flights from Hamilton with a catch

Low-cost airline to supply European flights from Hamilton with a catch

Article content material

An Iceland-based airline will supply low-cost flights to Europe from Hamilton, Ont., beginning this summer season.

Article content material

Iceland-based Fly Play hf. started working in Canada on Jan. 10, permitting travellers to guide tickets to 26 European locations together with London, Paris and Berlin. All Play flights undergo Iceland’s Reykjavik Keflavik airport, with stopovers of a minimum of an hour.

Article content material

With its launch, Play mentioned it’s going to supply tickets for as little as $129 and $169 to 13 locations throughout Europe for roundtrip flights scheduled between August and October. Flight service from John C. Munro Hamilton Worldwide Airport will start on June 22.

“Individuals like extra competitors and new choices as a result of the one factor it’s gonna assure are decrease fares and extra airways preventing for a similar buyer. In order that’s all the time good for the buyer,” the airline’s chief govt, Birgir Jónsson, mentioned in an interview.

Article content material

Canada’s market is at the moment dominated by main native gamers, Air Canada, WestJet Airways Ltd. and Air Transat A.T. Inc., in addition to Canadian low-cost carriers similar to  Aptitude Airways Ltd., Sunwing Airways Inc. and WestJet subsidiary Swoop Inc.

Jónsson mentioned Play has been increasing within the U.S. over the previous months and with its concentrate on increasing providers to the east coast of North America, an airport in Ontario was a “logical subsequent step” for the service.

“(There’s a) very traditionally confirmed market between Europe and Canada … so it checked quite a lot of bins,” he mentioned. Jónsson mentioned Play will be capable to supply the bottom fares from Hamilton to Europe, with connections to main cities. The corporate operates flights on new Airbus A321NEO and A320NEO plane.

Article content material

He added that the brand new each day routes with decrease fares will assist develop native tourism in Iceland, the place it’s the largest business.

Play is only one of a number of carriers increasing providers in Canada this summer season. Main Canadian airways have additionally introduced added routes prior to now months, because the journey business recovers from a pandemic-induced droop.

In September, Aptitude Airways introduced it’s going to develop its fleet in a bid to develop capability by 50 per cent by the summer season, which it mentioned would make it Canada’s third-largest airline by seats flown. Every week later, Air Canada introduced it’s going to add direct flights to the U.S. from Halifax and Vancouver this summer season. In June, the WestJet Group mentioned it’s going to add new routes and centre its current wide-body 787 Dreamliner fleet round Western Canada.

Play selected Hamilton’s airport for its decrease prices, which permit the service to supply “sustainable decrease costs” which are consistent with its enterprise mannequin, however Jónsson mentioned that increasing into different Canadian cities is “completely one thing that we’re .”

“On paper, it’s an ideal airport for us and I actually hope that it’s going to work,” Jónsson mentioned. “I’m assured, however then we’ll see what the subsequent step goes to be.”

• Electronic mail: [email protected] | Twitter:

Leave a Reply