This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-45712063

The article has changed 11 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 0 Version 1
Passengers stranded as airline collapses Passengers stranded as airline collapses
(35 minutes later)
A budget airline that began offering long-haul flights from UK airports including Stansted to the US earlier this year has collapsed into administration. A budget airline that began offering long-haul flights from UK airports including Stansted to the US earlier this year has collapsed.
Primera Air said it was ceasing all operations at midnight on Monday after 14 years of operations.Primera Air said it was ceasing all operations at midnight on Monday after 14 years of operations.
Two flights to Washington and New York due to leave Stansted on Monday night have been grounded.Two flights to Washington and New York due to leave Stansted on Monday night have been grounded.
The Icelandic-owned airline said it had failed to secure long-term financing. The Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that Primera had ceased operations.
That meant it had "no choice" but to file for bankruptcy. Three Primera flights were in the air on Monday night, including one from Birmingham to Malaga, according to Flight Radar.
Primera had been competing with other low-cost long-haul operators such as Norwegian and Wow. The Icelandic-owned airline said it had failed to secure long-term financing, meaning it had "no choice" but to file for bankruptcy.
In August the airline said it was ending all short-haul flights from Birmingham airport from 3 September, with seven destinations affected. Primera's decision to start competing with other low-cost long-haul operators such as Norwegian and Wow appears to have led to its demise.
Signs that the airline was in trouble came in August, when it said short-haul flights from Birmingham to seven European destinations would end on 3 September.
It also blamed the late arrival of new aircraft from Airbus that forced it to cancel flights and lease planes.
"Weighting the potential losses due to future delivery delays ... and bearing in mind the difficult environment that airlines are facing now due to low prices and high fuel costs, we have decided to cease operations now," the company said.
When it began longhaul operations from Stansted in May, Primera was offering flights to New York's Newark airport, Boston, Washington DC and Toronto starting at £149 each way.
Most of the airline's business involved taking Scandinavian holidaymakers to destinations such as Spain, Greece, Italy, Egypt and Turkey.
Do you have a flight booked with Primera? Have you been left without a flight? Share your experience by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.
Please include a contact number if you are willing to speak to a BBC journalist. You can also contact us in the following ways:
Or please use the form below: