This Budget Airline Is Canceling All U.S. Flights—What Travelers Should Know

It’s the final boarding call for U.S. flights from a popular low-cost airline.

Iceland-based Play Airlines recently announced it would stop operations to and from the United States, as well as all of North America, this fall. 

“All flights to North America cease as of October 2025,” the airline confirmed in a statement on its website. 

The airline first launched flights to the U.S. in 2021 and currently operates routes from Baltimore, Boston, and New York to Reykjavik, Iceland. Once in Iceland, travelers had the opportunity to fly to a variety of European destinations including Berlin, Copenhagen, Dublin, London, and Porto. 

Despite October being the announced date for the end of operations, the airline is no longer selling any tickets for travel from New York to Iceland after Sept. 1, 2025. Tickets on the route for travel on Sept. 1 are currently going for as little as €174 one-way (approximately $201). 

While the airline operates flights out of New York, it does not use the main airports like LaGuardia Airport (LGA), John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), or Newark International Airport (EWR). Instead, it uses New York Stewart International Airport (SWF) in Windsor, New York, which is approximately 77 miles north of New York City. Although that is a significant distance from the city, the airport often provides a discounted option for travelers and a regular shuttle service. 

A representative for the airline told Travel + Leisure that Play would contact all affected passengers for trip modification or refunds if needed. 

In addition to the end of the airline’s North America flights, Play will also undergo a restructure and switch from its existing Iceland-based Air Operator Certificate, to a Maltese-based certificate. The airline will also remove its stock exchange listing and fly to fewer destinations. It will also lease aircraft to other vendors. 

The decision of Play Airlines to end U.S. flights comes at a time when other airlines have reduced routes or shut down. For example, Silver Airways, a regional airline that operates flights throughout the Bahamas, the Caribbean Islands, and Florida, recently announced a sudden shut down as well.