Spanish airline to cease operations
January 28th, 2012 - 12:23 pm ICT by IANSBarcelona, Jan 28 (IANS/EFE) Spanish airline Spanair said Friday it is ceasing operations and plans to go to court next week to seek bankruptcy protection.
The financially struggling carrier issued a statement apologizing for any inconvenience and assuring passengers that Spanair was working with the airport authority and the Spanish development ministry to minimize travel disruptions.
Spanair currently operates around 200 flights a day, including service to a dozen cities in Europe and Africa.
Spanair, which has some 2,000 employees and a 22 percent share of Spain’s air travel market, has been in financial straits for several years.
The decision to shut down came after the Catalonia regional government said it would not provide any more public money to Spanair and Qatar Airlines declined to invest in the Barcelona-based carrier.
Spanair’s financial problems were aggravated by its involvement in Spain’s worst air disaster in 25 years: a Aug 20, 2008, crash near Madrid-Barajas International Airport that left 154 people dead.
–IANS/EFE
rd
- Spanish airline files for bankruptcy - Jan 31, 2012
- Human error blamed for 2008 plane crash in Madrid - Jul 30, 2011
- Pilot arrested in Madrid for smuggling cocaine - Aug 24, 2011
- Spanish airline shutdown leaves Christmas travellers stranded - Dec 23, 2009
- Business bankruptcies in Spain rise - Apr 10, 2012
- Spain cancels plan to privatise airports - Jan 24, 2012
- Spain busts gang that hid drugs in babies' diapers - Nov 29, 2011
- 166 flights cancelled in Madrid due to snow - Jan 12, 2010
- Winter storm snarls transport in Spain - Dec 22, 2009
- 20 Spain airports closed due to volcanic ash - May 09, 2010
- Libyan rebels seek financial help from Spain - Jul 22, 2011
- Mexican airline to return to the skies under new owners - Feb 26, 2012
- Bankruptcies soar in Spain - Feb 08, 2012
- Aeromexico makes first biofuel trans-Atlantic flight - Aug 03, 2011
- Prospective buyer for Mexican airline puts money on table - Nov 19, 2011
Tags: air disaster, air travel, airline, bankruptcy protection, barajas international airport, barcelona, cities in europe, development ministry, disruptions, dozen cities, efe, including service, inconvenience, jan 28, madrid barajas international airport, public money, qatar airlines, regional government, spanair, travel market