25-06-2025
PLAY airlines stopping Stewart airport service. When last Iceland flights will take off
Stewart International Airport may lose its only direct flight to Europe this fall.
PLAY airlines, an Icelandic operator, has provided a low-cost, direct route from Stewart airport to Reykjavik since 2022. This route also serves as a connecting link to several major cities in Europe.
The announcement by PLAY said it planned on 'discontinuing the less successful parts of the business—namely, U.S. flights and connecting services' as part of a takeover bid by the two largest shareholders.
'It's a loss for the area,' said Paul Quartararo, who is chairman of the Stewart Airport Advisory Commission. 'Stewart Airport is being underutilized.'
PLAY's announcement indicated flights would end by October 2025. As of June 18, no flights are available from Stewart on PLAY's website after Sept. 1.
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Last year — recorded as the busiest year — there were 145.9 million passengers at the four Port Authority airports: John F. Kennedy, LaGuardia, Stewart and Newark.
Stewart accounted for 277,000 passengers, a 9% increase over the prior year, but Quartararo said the Port Authority, Federal Aviation Administration and the state were not doing enough to route traffic to Stewart, especially amid congestion and a personnel shortage. Stewart had recently become more accessible due to its New York State Thruway access.
"New York Stewart remains an attractive option with great potential for new and existing carriers to add or expand domestic and international service," Port Authority Aviation Director Sarah McKeon said in a statement. "The Port Authority is fully committed to growing air service at SWF and continues to actively engage with airline partners to pursue new opportunities and enhance regional connectivity.'
PLAY's U.S. media office declined to confirm at what stage the takeover offer stood and whether there existed any provisions that could thwart or veto the bid.
If the proposal goes through, all U.S. flights, including Stewart, Boston Logan, and Baltimore's Washington International, will end by October 2025.
This article originally appeared on Times Herald-Record: PLAY to end direct Iceland flights from NY's 'underutilized' Stewart airport
