Ceased, Defunct and Suspended Airlines
Find out which airlines are defunct and no longer flying
Ceased Airlines
Want to find out which airlines have ceased operations? Take a look at our list below - this up-to-date list consists of all ceased/defunct airlines that are no longer operating.
Click on any of these airlines to find out more about the airline itself, why it ceased operations and alternative airlines that you can fly with!
All Ceased / Defunct Airlines
Ceased in 2023
- Aeromar
- Airwing
- Arktika Airline
- Flyr
- JC International Airlines
- Lubeck Air
- Viva Colombia
- Viva Air Panamá
- Ultra Air
Ceased in 2022
- AB Aviation
- Aha!
- Air Choice One
- Air Gotland
- Airbahn
- Bees Airline
- Blue Air
- EGO Airways
- Eswatini Airlink
- ExpressJet
- FANair
- Genghis Khan Airlines
- Green Airlines
- kulula
- Royal Flight Airlines
- Skol Airlines
- Tchadia Airlines
- Tel Aviv Air
- Trujet
Ceased in 2021
- Air Namibia
- Air Sinai
- Amaszonas Uruguay
- Blu Express
- Blue Panorama Airlines
- Fly My Sky
- Goldstar Air
- Itapemirim Transportes Aéreos (ITA)
- Luke Air
- Maluti Sky
- Mango Airlines
- MeerExpress
- Onur Air
- Orange2Fly
- Simrik Airlines
- Stobart Air
- Transwest Air
- Xpress Air
Ceased in 2020
- Air Antwerp
- Air Georgian
- Air Italy
- AtlasGlobal
- Austral-Líneas-Aéreas
- Avianca Argentina
- Avianca Peru
- BVI Airways
- Cathay Dragon (Dragonair)
- Comair
- Compass Airlines
- Connect Airways
- Direktflyg
- Ellinair
- Fly Ernest
- Fly Jamaica Airways
- Flybe
- FlyBosnia
- FlyViking
- Island Express Air
- Korea Express Air
- LATAM Airlines Argentina
- LC Perú
- Miami Air International
- Montenegro Airlines
- NokScoot
- PenAir
- Peruvian Airlines
- Regent Airways
- Saudi Gulf Airlines
- Siam Air Transport
- SilkAir
- Sky Regional Airlines
- South African Express
- TAME Airlines
- Trans States Airlines
- Virgin Connect
Ceased in 2019
- Adria Airways
- Aigle Azur
- Air Philip
- Asian Wings Airways
- Athens Spirit Airlines
- AtlasGlobal UA
- Avianca Brasil
- Bek Air
- Blekingeflyg
- BMI Regional
- Bulgarian Eagle
- Cambodia Bayon Airlines
- Germania
- Global Africa Aviation
- Hubei Airlines
- IGavion
- KC International Airlines
- KD Air
- NewGen Airways
- Nigeria Air
- North Country Sky
- Ohana by Hawaiian
- Silverstone Air
- South Pacific Airlines
- Thomas Cook Airlines
- Thomas Cook Airlines Scandinavia
- ViaAir
- Wisdom Airways
- XL Airways France
Ceased in 2018
- Air Arabia Jordan
- Air Costa Rica
- Air Mediterranean
- Air Méditerranée
- Air Odisha
- Air Scandic
- Asia Atlantic Airlines
- Cairo Aviation
- California Pacific Airlines
- Cobalt Airlines
- Dart Ukrainian Airlines
- Etihad Regional
- FlyDamas
- FMI Air
- Great Lakes Airlines
- Jetconnect
- JETGO Australia
- LASA Lineas Aéreas
- Nature Air
- NextJet
- Onejet
- openskies
- Primera Air Nordic
- Primera Air Scandinavia
- Privateways
- Royal Falcon
- samara-airlines
- Saratov Airlines
- Shaheen Air
- Sky Greenland
- SkyWork Airlines
- Small Planet Airlines
- Sparrow Aviation
- Sun Air Express
- Thistle Airways
- Up
- Vision Airlines
- Zimbabwe Airways
Ceased in 2017
- Afric Aviation
- Air Berlin
- Air Costa
- Air Labrador
- Atlas Atlantique
- Belair-Airlines
- Bergen Air
- BoraJet Airlines
- Brit Air
- Citywing
- Darwin Airline
- Dniproavia
- ECAir
- Fly Kiss
- flybaboo
- Hawaii Island Air
- Hex Air
- Insel Air
- Inter Island Airways
- Kinda Airlines
- Mega Maldives
- Monarch Airlines
- NIKI
- PAWA Dominicana
- Santa Barbara Airlines (SBA)
- Starbow Airlines
- Swazi Airways
- Thomas Cook Airlines Belgium
- VIM Airlines
- Vule Airways
- Welcome Air
- Wings of Alaska
Ceased in 2016
- Air Go Egypt
- Air Vallee
- Air-Pegasus
- Asian Air
- Barents Airlink
- Donavia
- Express Airways
- hawkair
- Hermes Airlines
- Mihin Lanka
- NextJet Canada
- Orenair
- SAFI Airways
- SeaPort Airlines
- SOL Linas Aereas
- transasia-airways
- United Airways Bangladesh
- VLM Airlines
Ceased in 2015
- Aerocomercial Oriente Norte
- Aerocon
- Aeropelican
- Air Aland AB
- Air Bagan
- Air Indus
- Air Jamaica
- Air Lituanica
- AK Bars Aero
- Alas Uruguay
- BH Airlines
- BQB-Lineas-Aereas
- Estonian air
- Eurolot
- Fly Blue Crane
- Ghana Airways
- interair
- interavia
- intersky
- Kharkiv Airlines
- Korongo Airlines
- Saereo
- SkyGreece Airlines
- Ten-Airways
- Transaero Airlines
- Tristar Air
- Tyrolean Airways
- US Airways
- vladivostok-air
- Wizz Air Ukraine
- Zimbabwe Flyafrica.com
Ceased in 2014
- Aer Arann
- Aerolineas Principal Chile
- Afghan Jet
- Air Armenia
- Air Caucasus
- Air One
- Branson Air Express
- Central Connect Airlines
- City Airline
- East Air
- Epic Air
- Frontier Flying Service
- Gambia Bird Airlines
- Globus Airlines
- Grozny Avia
- Hamburg Airways
- Kogalymavia Airlines
- Livingston AIr
- Mandala Airlines
- Merpati Nusantara Airlines
- Moskovia Airlines
- North American Airlines
- Pacific Wings
- Polet Airlines
- Pskovavia
- SAT Airlines
- Toumai Air Tchad
- Vintage Props and Jets
- World Airways
Ceased in 2013
- Aerosvit
- Air Malawi
- Air Mekong
- AirAsia Japan
- Armavia
- Atlantis Armenian Airlines
- Bahrain Air
- belle air
- Brindabella Airlines
- Danube Wings
- Donbassaero
- Dutch Antilles Express
- Hemus air
- Henan Airlines
- IZairlab airlines
- South Airlines
- Taca Regional
- Tatarstan Airlines
- Tiara Air
- Zagrosjet
Ceased in 2012
- 1 Time Airline
- Aerosur
- Air Norway
- Antrak Air
- Cimber Air
- Cirrus Airlines
- Contact Air
- gabon airlines
- GMG Airlines
- Gryphon Airlines
- iceland express
- islas airways
- Jet Air
- jet4you
- JetLite
- Kingfisher Airlines
- Kingfisher Red
- Kuban Airlines
- Madagasikara Airways
- Malev
- manx2
- pluna
- Polynesian Blue
- Skyways Express
- Spanair
- USA 3000
- Virgin Nigeria
- West African Airlines
- wind-jet
- Zambezi Airlines
Ceased in 2011
- Air Alps
- Air Ivoire
- Air Southwest
- Air Sweden
- Atlant Soyuz Airlines
- finncomm airlines
- flynordic
- Halcyonair
- kavminvodyavia
- martinair
- Nationwide Airlines
- Slok Air International
- Star1 Airlines
- WorldTicket
Ceased in 2010
- Air Slovakia
- Asian Express Airlines
- Athens Airways
- Avian Líneas Aéreas
- Eurocypria Airlines
- evolavia
- Ghana International
- Gran Colombia De Aviacion
- Jupiter BBJ
- Khors Air
- Mexicana
- paramount-airways
- R-Airlines
- Regional Airlines Morocco
- Robin Hood Aviation
- Sky Express
- Varsity Express
- Viking Airlines
- Viking Hellas
Ceased in 2009
- Air Burundi
- Air Comet
- Aviacsa
- Bellview airlines
- centralwings
- flyglobespan
- FlyLAL Lithuanian Airlines
- imair airlines
- kd avia
- LAB Airlines
- LTU Airlines
- macedonian airlines
- Mali Airlines
- myair
- pbair
- Sky Europe
- Zambian Airways
Ceased in 2008
- Air Corridor
- Alitalia City Liner
- Alma de Mexico
- Aloha airlines
- ATA airlines
- catovair
- City Star Airlines
- Clickair
- Dalavia
- DBA
- Domodedovo airlines
- eos airlines
- Esen Air
- eurofly
- freedom air
- itali airlines
- Itek Air
- Krasair
- LEAP Airlines
- MacAir airlines
- Siem Reap Airways
- Sterling Airlines
- XL Airways UK
- Zoom airlines
Ceased in 2007
- Air Sahara
- Take Air
Ceased in 2005
Ceased in 2004
- BizAir Shuttle
- Gambia International Airlines
- Southeast Airlines
- Volare
Ceased in 2002
Ceased in 2001
Ceased in 1989
Ceased in 1979
Other ceased airlines:
Why do airlines stop flying?
There are many reasons as to why airlines cease operations and stop flying. Some of these reasons include:
- Financial difficulties or bankruptcy
- Increased competition in the market
- Rising operational costs (e.g., fuel prices)
- No demand for their services
- Loss of operational licence or safety issues
- Mergers or acquisitions with other airlines
- Ageing fleet and maintenance challenges
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which airlines are no longer operating?
Many airlines have ceased operations over the years - for a full list of ceased airlines, please take a look at the list above. We have ordered this by year that the airline has ceased operations.
Why do airlines cease operations?
Airlines stop flying for several reasons. A common reason and major cause is financial difficulty. Airlines operate on tight margins and competition in the industry can be fierce, so when events like economic downturns, rising fuel costs and unexpected maintenance expenses occur, it can tip the scales towards bankruptcy.
Another reason is due to mergers and acquisitions. Airlines sometimes merge with others to create a stronger presence within the market. This will however lead to the disappearance of one of the involved airlines.
A less common reason is safety issues. If an airline encounters a series of accidents resulting in the loss of public confidence in safety standards, it can force the airline to ground its fleet.
What happens if I have a ticket on an airline that has ceased operations?
This can be a frustrating situation and your options will depend on the specific airline as well as how recently they ceased operations. If you booked your flights through Alternative Airlines and the airline has now ceased operations, please contact us immediately - our friendly customer service team will be happy to help you solve this issue.
If you didn't book your flight through Alternative Airlines:
- Check for refund information - the airline may have issued a statement outlining how passengers can claim refunds for unused tickets.
- Contact your credit card company - if you paid for your ticket(s) using a credit card, you may be able to file a chargeback to get your money back.
- Look for travel insurance - if you had travel insurance, it might cover some or all of your losses in case of airline closure.