TORONTO — Low-cost carrier Primera Air is suspending all flights and filing for bankruptcy protection. Primera offers London (Stansted) and Paris out of Toronto, and was set to start offering Paris flights out of Montreal as of Oct. 28.
The airline said on its website Monday, “On this sad day we are saying Goodbye to all of you.” It isn’t giving information about refunds.
In a statement, directors say Primera couldn’t get financing from its bank and spent more than 30 million Euros (US$34.7 million) leasing planes and rebuilding one with severe corrosion.
The full statement on the website reads: “Dear Passengers, Airline Primera Air and IATA codes PF and 6F have been suspended as of today, Oct. 2, 2018. On behalf of Primera Air team, we would like to thank you for your loyalty. On this sad day we are saying Goodbye to all of you. Please visit primeraair.com for further updates in next few days. Tour Operator passengers are kindly suggested to address their Tour Operators and Agents for further information and actions. Kindly understand that the usual options for contacts (via email or phone) can not be offered any longer. Sincerely yours, Primera Air team”.
Primera started as a charter airline in Iceland and became one of several budget airlines to offer transatlantic service in recent years, flying to Newark, Washington, Boston and Toronto.
Out of Toronto Primera was announcing a new route just about every week recently.
The new flights were announced just weeks after news of new routes from Toronto to Berlin (starting June 2019) and Toronto and Montreal to Frankfurt (starting July 2019).
With files from The Associated Press
