Braathens bankruptcy affects thousands of Ving and Apollo customers
Braathens Regional Airlines has been declared bankrupt, impacting thousands of customers of tour operators Ving and Apollo. Charter flights from several Swedish airports, including Norrköping and Visby, are canceled. Customers are urged to contact their travel companies for compensation and rebooking.
Braathens Regional Airlines, a Norwegian carrier operating charter flights for Swedish tour operators, filed for bankruptcy on December 22, 2023. The decision followed financial difficulties exacerbated by the pandemic and rising fuel costs. The airline, based in Sweden since 2021, handled around 20 weekly flights for Ving and Apollo during the winter.
According to Dagens Nyheter, thousands of customers have their trips affected by Braathens' planes. "We are deeply sorry about the situation and are working intensively to rebook trips," says Ving's press officer Clara Lindblom in a comment. Apollo confirms that about 5,000 of their customers are impacted, mainly trips to the Canary Islands and Cyprus.
SVT reports specifically on the effects in Östergötland and Gotland. Charter flights to the sun from Norrköping are canceled, and winter charter trips from Visby are affected. "Passengers who booked through us will receive full compensation under EU rules," states Apollo's customer service.
The background to the bankruptcy lies in the parent company's losses exceeding 100 million kronor in 2023. The airline has operated from bases like Gothenburg, Stockholm, and Malmö. Sweden's travel industry, just recovering from COVID-19, now faces new challenges. Ving and Apollo, two of the country's largest charter operators, promise to minimize disruptions through partnerships with other airlines like TUI fly.
Customers are advised not to travel to the airports and to await instructions via email or app. EU passenger rights protection ensures refunds or rerouting. No safety issues are reported with the canceled flights, and Braathens Sweden staff have been informed of layoffs.