PLAY Is Exiting The U.S. Next Month – Baltimore Is The Last To Go
ID 313390329 | Air © Pavol Stredansky | Dreamstime.com
Icelandic low-cost carrier PLAY will operate its final U.S. flight on October 24, ending KEF–BWI service and wrapping up a three-year attempt to make transatlantic ULCC connections work. The farewell is fitting: Baltimore was PLAY’s first U.S. station back in April 2022.
Why PLAY is leaving the U.S.
PLAY says its U.S. network has been expensive, seasonal, and intensely competitive, with yields below target and too much capacity chasing the same leisure demand. Rather than funneling North America–Europe connections over Keflavík, the airline will pivot to low-frequency, point-to-point leisure routes in Southern Europe, expand aircraft leasing, and leverage its Maltese AOC for flexibility and partnerships.
How we got here
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Dulles (IAD): ended Dec 2024
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New York–Stewart (SWF): ended Sep 2025
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Boston (BOS): ended Sep 2025
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Baltimore (BWI): last U.S. route, ending Oct 24, 2025
PLAY’s Canada experiment also wound down: Hamilton (YHM) ran Jun 2023–Apr 2025, offering the airport’s lone Europe link. Most passengers were Iceland O&D, with Dublin the top onward connection among those who did connect.
The last U.S. flights (BWI)
PLAY’s A320neo (174/180 seats) runs KEF–BWI 5–7x weekly until the cutoff, timed primarily for KEF-bank connectivity—hence the 04:55 Keflavík arrivals on the return.
Typical timings (local):
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KEF → BWI: 15:05–17:40
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BWI → KEF: 18:50–04:55 (+1)
What competitors are doing
Icelandair competes head-to-head at BWI (and also flies IAD). With PLAY exiting, Icelandair is positioned to absorb price-sensitive traffic and tighten schedules around KEF banks for Europe connections. (It also enjoys a codeshare with Southwest, widening domestic feed at BWI.)
If you’re booked on PLAY
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Traveling before Oct 24: operate as scheduled (monitor for tweaks).
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Booked after the exit: expect carrier outreach for options/refunds. If you purchased via an OTA or agency, coordinate with them as well.
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Consider Icelandair from BWI or IAD, or re-route over other East Coast gateways.
Why the ULCC-to-Europe model struggled here
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Seasonality: summer peaks, soft shoulders/winters.
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Crowded corridors: Icelandair, legacies, and TAP/Norse/others fighting for similar wallets.
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Ancillaries vs. taxes/fees: government/airport fees on transatlantic itineraries compress the total fare “headroom” ULCCs need.
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Connectivity disadvantage: fewer frequencies reduce visibility in search and make one-week trips the only “natural” fit.
What PLAY does next
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Focus on Mediterranean sun markets with low-frequency, leisure-heavy flying.
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Grow leasing activity and utilize the Malta AOC for opportunistic projects and partnerships.
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Trim Northern Europe points that mainly existed for North America connectivity.
Bottom line
PLAY will end all U.S. service on October 24, closing out Baltimore and completing a staged retreat from North America. The airline will refocus on southern European leisure routes and fleet/ACMI opportunities. If you’re holding a PLAY ticket beyond the exit date, watch for refund options and check Icelandair from BWI/IAD (or other carriers via nearby hubs) to keep plans intact.
