With a smaller customer base and less of a financial cushion to fall back on during tough times, many smaller regional airlines have had a particularly challenging time staying afloat in the current market.
British regional carriers Eastern Airways and Blue Channels, Swedish carriers Braathens Aviation and H-Bird, and Icelandic low-cost carrier Play Airlines have all collapsed in high-profile shutdowns over the last year.
Over in the U.S., Spirit Airlines is currently in a second bankruptcy while Texas-based charter airline Starflite Aviation recently had its air operator’s certificate (AOC) stripped by regulators after an FAA audit found evidence that the owners falsified the training records of its pilots.