Launched in 2020 with two Airbus A320 planes, Romanian low-cost airline Animawings filed for insolvency proceedings at the Bucharest Tribunal on Sept. 30 after rising maintenance costs and the spike in jet fuel prices dealt the final blow to its finances.
“The repeated technical problems affecting our fleet have generated a chain reaction across our entire business in a relatively short period of time, against an economic backdrop that has further intensified this pressure,” Animawings said in an earlier statement on its situation.
The budget airline began grounding its fleet and, when the insolvency proceedings were initially announced, canceled certain routes to Frankfurt and Vienna. Two weeks later, the reporting out of Romania is that Animawings has canceled all of its flights until Oct. 24.
Budget airline Animawings cancels all flights for two weeks
While temporarily canceling flights and relaunching them at a better date is a common tactic for airlines trying to restructure, the move can also precede a full collapse. In April 2026, Mexican low-cost carrier Magnicharters suspended all flights for what it initially said would be a period of two weeks but later ended up shutting down in bankruptcy.
Paraguayan low-cost airline Paranair is also currently in a period of temporary two-week shutdown due to the maintenance needs of its only Bombardier CRJ-200 regional jet.
Related: Another airline in bankruptcy, flights canceled
In the case of Animawings, leadership of the budget carrier expressed intent to restart operations on Oct. 25 in time for the winter flying schedule but the sudden cancelation and insolvency proceedings throw its future ability to restart operations into question.
In total, dozens of flights to other parts of Europe out of Henri Coandă International Airport (OTP) in Bucharest and the smaller Cluj Avram Iancu International Airport (CLJ) remain canceled as passengers with existing bookings past Oct. 25 report receiving contradictory information about whether those flights will run.
“Cancellations are being processed gradually, in order of travel date,” Animawings writes on its website. “Affected passengers will receive confirmation of the cancellation at the email address associated with their booking.”
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Delta, United cancel flights due to storm and Middle East security
Unrelated to their financial situation, large U.S. airlines such as Delta and United have also recently canceled dozens of flights due to everything from the security situation in the Middle East to the onset of Hurricane Isaias across multiple southern states like Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.
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Other airlines that shut down or filed for bankruptcy in 2026:
- Flamingo Air and Aerodiana: The regional airlines with large client bases among tourists to the Bahamas and Peru, respectively, currently have suspended AOCs after fatal accidents in their home countries that took place in July 2026.
- Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow.
- Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline ended up canceling all flights and filing for bankruptcy in a shutdown that left thousands stranded.
- Starflite Aviation: The Houston-based carrier had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
- AlpAvia: The Slovenian charter airline also shut down in March 2026 due to financial problems.
