Play Airlines is pulling out of Canada less than two years after entering the market.
The discount carrier’s schedule shows that starting in late April it will stop its four flights per week from Hamilton to its home base in Reykjavik, Iceland, which it uses as a stopover for trips to Europe.
In an email Tuesday morning, Play spokesperson Birgir Olgeirsson said “We are currently in the process of notifying passengers about this change and expect to complete this by the end of the week.”
She said last fall Play changed its “business strategy to place greater emphasis on leisure destinations in Southern Europe” and that flights to and from North America “had to be reduced to align with the updated schedule, unfortunately leading to the cancellation of our YHM operations for now.”
She said the “decision was driven by underwhelming results from the hub-and-spoke model during the summer of 2024. A significant increase in capacity within the direct transatlantic market negatively impacted connecting flights, reducing both yields and demand for connection services. These challenges affected PLAY’s financial performance, prompting us to refocus on leisure markets and scale back the number of North American destinations.”
The halt also comes amid a narrowing of the low-cost carrier field after Lynx Air filed for creditor protection last February and WestJet folded Swoop into its mainline operation in 2023.
A statement sent by email from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport said “PLAY Airlines will end its service from John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport as of April 22, 2025. Passengers can continue to book and travel with PLAY from today through that date. Questions related to the decision by PLAY can be directed to [email protected].”
The statement went on to say that while officials at the airport “are disappointed with this decision, we remain confident in the future of Hamilton International. The Airport’s new 49-year lease signed with the City of Hamilton last Fall, in combination with strong cargo operations, growing land development opportunities and a large catchment area of passengers who want to choose Hamilton International for their travels, position the Airport well for future growth.”
