Icelandic low-cost airline PLAY marked a milestone on Friday with its inaugural flight to Athens, Greece. The flight is the primary time in history that usually scheduled direct flights have connected Iceland and the capital of Greece.
Despite only performing one flight to and from Athens, the route has experienced high demand, in keeping with PLAY. In consequence, the airline decided to increase the flight’s schedule for one more seven months.
Hello, Athens!
The flight, PLAY 590 (FPY590), departed from Keflavík Airport on Friday at 06:25. Operated by an Airbus A320neo, the aircraft climbed to a cruising altitude of 31,000, 35,000 and 37,000 feet. Flying at a speed of 475 miles per hour, the plane headed southeast toward Greece. After a five-hour and 35-minute journey, the aircraft landed at Athens International Airport at 15:00 local time, in keeping with data FlightAware.
Photo: Airbus
PLAY’s CEO, Birgir Jonsson, spoke in regards to the inaugural flight.
“We’re thrilled to witness the culmination of our tireless efforts as we successfully launch the first-ever direct scheduled flights between Iceland and Athens. This significant milestone in Icelandic aviation history is a testament to the dedication and labor of our entire team.”
In response to Greek Travel Pages, PLAY will operate flights to Athens twice weekly. The return flight, FYP591, departed from Athens on Saturday at 10:27. The A320neo cruised at 38,000 feet and arrived back in Keflavik at 13:13 local time. The return journey was barely longer, with a complete flight time of 5 hours and 46 minutes.
Meeting the low-cost demand
When the airline announced the service last yr, Jonsson said the goal was to introduce low fares to Greece, just as to its other destinations.
the CEO explained to Greek Travel Pages.
There isn’t any doubt that the goal was met, as PLAY shared on Friday that demand for the flights has skyrocketed, exceeding expectations since tickets first went on sale. In response, the airline will lengthen its schedule until next yr.
Jonsson said.
Further connectivity
In response to Greek Travel Pages, PLAY previously indicated that passengers traveling from Athens to Iceland have increased exceptionally previously few years. Between 2015 and 2021, the annual growth rate was reportedly 20%.
The airline also plugged that passengers not only profit from the direct flights but in addition the power to hook up with US destinations inside its network, including Baltimore, Boston, Recent York, and Washington, DC. In Canada, the carrier operates flights to Toronto.
Photo: PLAY
Jonsson added.
Source: Greek Travel Pages
