Icelandic carrier Play has applied to the US Department of Transportation for a permit to start flights to the US in 2022.
The news follows the launch of Play’s inaugural services to several European destinations including London Stansted in June.
The carrier currently has a fleet of three A321 neo aircraft, which were previously operated by Mexican airline Interjet. Three further aircraft are set to be delivered next year, which Play says will “open up transatlantic travel for Brits via Iceland”.
Plans for the start-up carrier were first unveiled in 2019, seven months after the collapse of fellow Icelandic airline Wow Air, which itself had grown quickly through a focus on offering one-stop services between Europe and North American via Reykjavik.
In October 2018 – just months before Wow collapsed – our consumer editor Alex McWhirter questioned whether the carrier had over expanded, following the cancellation of several US routes including St Louis, Cincinnati and Cleveland.
Play has yet to reveal which destinations its will be targeting in the US, and all eyes will be on whether the carrier can succeed where Wow Air could not.
