Icelandic low-cost carrier WOW Air has ceased operations with immediate effect. All flights have been cancelled.
This comes after months of financial struggles, which forced the airline to downsize its operations, and several failed takeover negotiations with other companies.
Earlier this week, WOW Air had already cancelled several flights after two Airbus A321 aircraft were repossessed by the company leasing them to WOW. A few days before, both Indigo Partner LLC. and competing airline Icelandair announced that they have dropped talks regarding an acquisition of WOW Air.
In November last year, WOW Air entered a restructuring process. Since then, the airline had suspended several destinations, cut its fleet in half, and reduced its workforce. All three widebody Airbus A330-300 were removed from its fleet, and an order for four A330-900neo was cancelled. In the end, WOW Air was operating a fleet of only nine remaining aircraft, consisting of one Airbus A320neo, six A321 and two A321neo.
As all booked WOW Air tickets are no longer valid, and the airline is unable to pay any compensation or refunds, some airlines, including Iceland’s flag-carrier Icelandair, United, Aer Lingus, EasyJet and Norwegian are offering reduced fares for affected passengers.
Jakob Wert is an aviation journalist from Germany. He built up the website IFN.news and is the Editor-In-Chief of International Flight Network.
