A number of major airlines have declared bankruptcy and have either ceased operations, or reorganized under bankruptcy protection. Airlines, like any business, are susceptible to market fluctuations and economic difficulties. The economic structure of the airline industry may contribute to airline bankruptcies as well. One major element in almost every airline bankruptcy is the rejection by the debtor of its current collective bargaining agreements with employees. After satisfying certain requirements, bankruptcy law permits courts to approve the rejection of labor contracts by the debtor-employer. With this tool, airline managers reduce costs. Terms of an employee contract negotiated over years can be eliminated in months through Chapter 11. Terms of the Railway Labor Act, amended in 1936 to cover airlines, prevent most labor union work actions before, during and after an airline bankruptcy.
Continental Airlines declared bankruptcy, Chapter 11, a second time in December 1990.
This is a timeline of airlines who have filed for bankruptcy protection. Also see list of defunct airlines for a list of airlines which are no longer operating.
This is a list of airlines that have filed for bankruptcy protection via Chapter 7 in the United States. [1] [2]
Airline | Date Bankruptcy filed |
---|---|
National Florida Airlines [3] | December 1, 1983 |
Excellair | July 7, 1984 |
Oceanaire Lines | February 10, 1984 |
Connectaire | October 10, 1984 |
Princeton Air Link | August 11, 1988 |
Air Kentucky | July 19, 1989 |
Eastern Air Lines | January 18, 1991 |
Northcoast Executive | January 29, 1991 |
Midway Airlines (1976-1991) | November 27, 1991 |
L’Express | February 2, 1992 |
Eastwind Airlines | September 30, 1999 |
Midway Airlines (1993-2003) | October 30, 2003 |
Southeast Airlines | December 1, 2004 |
TransMeridian Airlines | September 29, 2005 |
Big Sky | January 7, 2008 |
Aloha Airlines | March 31, 2008 |
Air Midwest | May 14, 2008 |
Gemini Air Cargo | August 12, 2008 |
Independence Air | January 6, 2009 |
Comair | April 4, 2012 |
Direct Air | April 12, 2012 |
Evergreen International Airlines | December 31, 2013 |
This is a list of airlines that have filed for bankruptcy protection via Chapter 11 in the United States. [2] [4]
Airline | Date Bankruptcy filed | Date Exited Bankruptcy | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
American Trans Air (ATA) | April 2, 2008 | Ceased operations | |
New York Airways | May 18, 1979 | Ceased operations | |
Aeroamerica | November 19, 1979 | Ceased operations | |
Florida Airlines | January 24, 1980 | Ceased operations | |
Indiana Airlines | March 3, 1980 | ||
Air Bahia | December 15, 1980 | Ceased operations | |
Tejas Airlines | December 31, 1980 | Ceased Operations [5] | |
Mountain West Airlines-Idaho | March 6, 1981 | Ceased operations | |
LANICA | March 16, 1981 | Nicaraguan airline; ceased operations | |
Coral Air | July 13, 1981 | ||
Pacific Coast Airlines | September 11, 1981 | ||
Swift Aire Lines | September 18, 1981 | Ceased operations (Charter flights) | |
Golden Gate Airlines | October 9, 1981 | Ceased operations | |
Pinehurst Airlines | January 26, 1982 | ||
Silver State Airlines | March 3, 1982 | ||
Air Pennsylvania | March 26, 1982 | Ceased operations | |
Air South | April 2, 1982 | ||
Cochise Airlines | April 16, 1982 | Ceased operations | |
Braniff International | May 13, 1982 | Ceased operations | |
Astec Air East | July 8, 1982 | ||
Will's Air | August 19, 1982 | ||
Aero Sun International | October 15, 1982 | ||
Aero Virgin Islands | October 19, 1982 | Ceased operations (in 1990) | |
Altair Airlines | November 9, 1982 | Ceased operations | |
Continental Airlines | September 23, 1983 | June 30, 1986 | Emerged after merger with PEOPLExpress, Frontier Airlines, and New York Air |
Frontier Airlines | August 28, 1986 | Ceased operations | |
Eastern Airlines | March 9, 1989 | Ceased operations | |
Partnair | October 1, 1989 | Norwegian airline; ceased operations | |
Pan American World Airways | January 8, 1991 | Ceased operations; Most assets purchased by Delta Air Lines | |
America West Airlines | June 28, 1991 | August 26, 1994 | Merged with US Airways in 2005 |
Sun Country Airlines | January 2002 | 2003 | Involuntary |
National Airlines | December 6, 2000 | Ceased operations on November 6, 2002 | |
Trans World Airlines | January 10, 2001 | Filed as part of an acquisition by American Airlines | |
US Airways | August 11, 2002 | March 31, 2003 | |
United Airlines | December 9, 2002 | February 1, 2006 | |
Air Canada | April 1, 2003 | September 30, 2004 | Canadian airline |
Flash Airlines | March 1, 2004 | Ceased operations | |
US Airways | September 12, 2004 | September 27, 2005 | Second filing, emerges in conjunction with its acquisition by America West |
Avianca | May 10, 2020 [6] | March 21, 2003 December 10, 2004 [7] December 1, 2021 [8] | Colombian airline |
Aloha Airlines | December 30, 2004 | February 17, 2006 | Cargo division continued flying as Aloha Air Cargo |
Northwest Airlines | September 14, 2005 | May 31, 2007 | Ceased Operations; Merged with Delta Air Lines |
Delta Air Lines | September 14, 2005 | April 30, 2007 | Included subsidiary Comair |
Maxjet Airways | December 26, 2007 | Ceased operations | |
Aloha Airlines | March 31, 2008 | Second filing; ceased passenger operations | |
ATA Airlines | April 3, 2008 | Ceased operations | |
Skybus Airlines | April 5, 2008 | Ceased operations | |
Frontier Airlines | April 10, 2008 | October 1, 2009 | |
Eos Airlines | August 26, 2008 | Ceased operations | |
Sun Country Airlines | October 6, 2008 | February 23, 2011 | Second bankruptcy |
Primaris Airlines | October 15, 2008 | Ceased operations | |
Mesa Airlines | January 5, 2010 | March 11, 2011 | |
Arrow Air | July 1, 2010 | Ceased operations and liquidated | |
Mexicana | August 28, 2010 | Mexican airline; ceased operations | |
American Airlines | November 29, 2011 | December 8, 2013 | Emerged from bankruptcy as American Airlines Group; includes parent company AMR Corporation and subsidiary American Eagle Airlines |
Ryan International Airlines | March 6, 2012 | Ceased operations | |
Pinnacle Airlines | April 2, 2012 | May 1, 2013 | Emerged as subsidiary of Delta Air Lines; name changed to Endeavor Air |
Southern Air | September 28, 2012 | ||
SeaPort Airlines | February 5, 2016 | ||
Republic Airways Holding | February 25, 2016 | ||
PenAir | August 7, 2017 | Ceases operations in Denver and Portland | |
Dynamic International Airways | July 19, 2017 | ||
Island Air (Hawaii) | October 16, 2017 | Ceased operations | |
Miami Air [9] | March 25, 2020 | Ceased operations | |
Ravn Alaska | April 5, 2020 | ||
Spirit Airlines | [10] | December 15, 2024||
LATAM Airlines Group | [11] | May 26, 2020[12] | November 3, 2022Chilean airline holding group; included all subsidiaries |
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, whether organized as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship, and to individuals, although it is most prominently used by corporate entities. In contrast, Chapter 7 governs the process of a liquidation bankruptcy, though liquidation may also occur under Chapter 11; while Chapter 13 provides a reorganization process for the majority of private individuals.
Avianca S.A. is the largest airline in Colombia. It has been the flag carrier of Colombia since December 5, 1919, when it was initially registered under the name SCADTA. It is headquartered in Colombia, with its registered office in Barranquilla and its global headquarters in Bogotá and main hub at El Dorado International Airport. Avianca is the flagship of a group of airlines of the Americas, which operates as one airline using a codesharing system. Avianca is the largest airline in Colombia and second largest in South America, after LATAM of Chile. Avianca and its subsidiaries have the most extensive network of destinations in the Americas. Before the merger with TACA in 2010, it was wholly owned by Synergy Group, a South American holding company established by Germán Efromovich and specializing in air transport. It is listed on the Colombia Stock Exchange.
Gol Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes S.A is a Brazilian low-cost airline based in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. According to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), between January and December 2019, Gol had 37.7% of the domestic and 3.8% of the international market shares in terms of passenger-kilometers flown, making it the largest domestic and third largest international airline in Brazil.
LATAM Airlines Brasil, formerly TAM Linhas Aéreas, is the Brazilian brand of LATAM Airlines Group operating international and domestic flights from hubs in Brasília, Fortaleza, and São Paulo. According to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), between January and December 2023, LATAM had 37.8% of the domestic, and 18.2% of the international market share in terms of passenger-kilometers flown, making it the largest domestic and largest international airline in Brazil.
Transportes Aéreos del Continente Americano, S.A., known and formerly branded as TACA International Airlines), and operating as Avianca El Salvador, is an airline owned by Kingsland Holdings and based in San Salvador, El Salvador. It is one of the seven national branded airlines in the Avianca Group of Latin American airlines, and it serves as the flag carrier of El Salvador.
Avianca Costa Rica S.A., using callsign as LACSA, minority owned by the Synergy Group, is the national airline of Costa Rica and is based in San José. It operates international scheduled services to over 35 destinations in Central, North and South America. The airline previously used the TACA/LACSA moniker when it was a subsidiary of Grupo TACA. Since May 2013, following Avianca's purchase of Grupo TACA, Avianca Costa Rica became one of seven nationally branded airlines operated by Avianca Group of Latin American airlines.
Miami Air International was an American charter airline based in Miami-Dade County, Florida, United States. It operated worldwide passenger charter flights for diverse groups including cruise operators, professional sports teams and the United States military. It was based at Miami International Airport. Miami Air's customers included incentive groups, sports teams, Fortune 500 companies, major cruise lines, entertainers, political candidates and the United States government. Under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet (CRAF) program, Miami Air was contracted by the United States Air Force Air Mobility Command for transporting troops and cargo.
Aviateca S.A. branded Avianca Guatemala is a regional airline headquartered in Guatemala City that serves as the flag carrier of Guatemala. Aviateca was under government ownership and remained so until 1989 when it joined the Grupo TACA alliance of Central America and was privatized. It was fully integrated into TACA, operating under the TACA Regional banner, which later merged with Avianca.
Avianca Brasil S.A., officially Oceanair Linhas Aéreas S/A, was a Brazilian airline based in Congonhas Airport in São Paulo, Brazil. According to the National Civil Aviation Agency of Brazil (ANAC), which cancelled its operation, prior to cessation of operations, from January to December 2018 Avianca Brasil had 13.4% of the domestic and 7.3% of the international market share in terms of passengers per kilometer flown, making it the fourth-largest airline both in domestic and international traffic in Brazil. The company slots were redistributed by Anac. An auction on 10 July 2019 raised R$555.3 million, not enough to pay a debt of R$2.7 billion, although Avianca's bankruptcy was not officially decreed.
LATAM Airlines Perú is an airline based in Lima, Peru. It is a subsidiary of LATAM Airlines Group, which owns 49% of the airline. It operates scheduled domestic and international services. Its main hub is Jorge Chávez International Airport. LATAM Perú is the dominant airline in Peru, controlling 73.4% of the domestic market. The airline serves as flag carrier of Peru.
Aerolane Líneas Aéreas Nacionales del Ecuador S.A. d/b/a LATAM Airlines Ecuador is a subsidiary of LATAM Airlines Group, based in Quito, Ecuador. It is owned by Translloyd (55%) and LATAM Airlines (45%).
Aerovías de Integración Regional S.A., d/b/a LATAM Airlines Colombia, is a Colombian airline. It is the second-largest air carrier in Colombia, after Avianca. It operates scheduled regional domestic passenger services, as well as a domestic cargo service. Its main hub is El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá.
Aero 2000 S.A., d/b/a LATAM Airlines Argentina, formerly LAN Argentina, was an airline based in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and a member of the LATAM Airlines Group. It was the second-largest airline in Argentina at the time it was disbanded.
Germán Efromovich is a Bolivian-born entrepreneur with multiple citizenship: Brazilian, Colombian, and Polish. He was born into a family of Polish Jews. His net worth is estimated to be $1 billion.
Aeko Kula, LLC, DBA Aloha Air Cargo, is an all-cargo airline in the United States, headquartered in Honolulu, Hawaii, operating from a hub at Daniel K. Inouye International Airport. Formerly Aloha Airlines, it became an independent cargo operator following the closure of the passenger airline in 2008.
LATAM Airlines Group S.A. is a Chilean multinational airline holding company headquartered in Santiago, Chile. It is considered the largest airline company in Latin America with subsidiaries in Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay and Peru. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the United States on 26 May 2020, due to economic problems attributed to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on aviation.
Fast Colombia S.A.S., trading as Viva Air Colombia and formerly VivaColombia, was a Colombian ultra low-cost airline based in Rionegro, Antioquia, Colombia. It was a subsidiary of Irelandia Aviation and, as of its bankruptcy in March 2023, the third largest airline in the country. The company was not legally affiliated with Mexico's Viva Aerobus, another low-cost carrier co-founded by Irelandia which also uses the "Viva" brand, although they did have a codeshare agreement for their flights. The company filed for insolvency in February 2023, and on February 27, 2023, the airline suspended, and eventually ceased, all operations, citing rising fuel prices and Aerocivil's failure to approve its planned acquisition by Avianca.
Gulfstream International Airlines was a United States airline that operated from 1988 to 2010. The airline primarily operated codeshare flights for major airlines. In December 2010, the airline went bankrupt and its assets were sold. Silver Airways launched as a new regional carrier with assets from Gulfstream.
Avianca Group International Limited is a pan-regional Latin American multinational airline holding company with its registered office in St Albans, England, and its global headquarters in Bogotá, Colombia. It was formed in February 2010 after a merger agreement between Avianca and TACA Airlines, the flag carriers of Colombia and El Salvador respectively, when Avianca and TACA became wholly owned subsidiaries of Avianca Holdings. TACA's shareholders were given 29% and Avianca's shareholders were given 71% of the shares in the new company.
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