An airline declared bankruptcy and announced the immediate cancellation of all flights, suddenly ending operations on Monday, September 30. This is Play Airlines, company lowcost From Iceland, whose decision left thousands of passengers on land, including Portuguese citizens, with no possibility of return for the usual routes.
According to the news portal cash, the carrier lowcost Icelandic justified the decision with financial difficulties, explaining that the recorded revenue did not allow to support the activity. In a statement published on the official website, the company said that “Fly Play has finished all operations and all flights were canceled.” Customers advised to look for alternative solutions from other companies, some of which may make available “special rescue tickets”.
Canceled flights in several Portuguese cities
According to the same source, Play Airlines had as main calls to the city of Reykjavik, where it is headquartered, and the airports of Lisbon, Porto, Faro and Funchal. The sudden end of the operation affected not only Portuguese passengers, but also citizens of other nationalities who were traveling through the company’s routes.
Portuguese journalist Francisco David Ferreira, through a publication on social network X, reported that he was “in a kind of unbelievable situation”, with no return flight to Portugal. The testimony illustrates the immediate impact of bankruptcy on the travel plans of hundreds of people who have seen each other without direct alternatives.
Financial results in sharp drop
The publication adds that the carrier registered a net loss of $ 66 million in the 2024 fiscal year. Already this year, the results remained negative, with losses of $ 26.8 million in the first quarter and 15.3 million in the second.
It refers to the same source that the financial indicators confirm the tendency of the company’s unsustainability, aggravated by reducing demand and pressure on aviation sector prices.
Passengers without immediate solution
Explains what the absence of contingency measures made it difficult to respond to the immediate needs of travelers. Without their own operation and without announced partnerships, Play Airlines customers were dependent on occasional offers from other carriers to be able to return home.
The closing of the company thus leaves a void in direct links between Portugal and Iceland, forcing passengers and operators to review mobility plans between the two countries.
Also read:
