Purple will be followed by red. Two former managers of the bankrupt Wow Air want to start a new low-cost airline in Iceland which will carry the name Play. Plans were already very solid in 2019. With two leased, bright red Airbus A321s, the startup wanted to fly from Keflavík/Reykjavík to initially six destinations in Europe, then to the USA last winter.
So far, however, no Play aircraft has taken off. This is now planned for next autumn, Play CEO Arnar Már Magnússon recently said according to reports by newspaper Vísir. The company is sufficiently financed and expects to receive its Air Operator Certificate AOC «soon».
Magnússon also said that the start-up had already negotiated collective agreements for pilots and cabin crews with a trade union. According to the manager, the current corona crisis has only slowed down planning somewhat. The manager did not comment on where the first flights are going and whether the fleet will still consist of A321.
In contrast to the original plans, however, the operation is to start with only one instead of two aircraft. There is already an agreement with a lessor. Meanwhile, Play wants to avoid competition with Iceland's largest airline Icelandair. «We are concentrating primarily on ourselves,» says Magnússon.
