Animawings suspends flights until late October and enters restructuring

Animawings will suspend all flights between 2 and 24 October and has entered a judicial reorganisation process, the Bucharest-based carrier said in a notice on its website. Flights are described as temporarily suspended due to current operational circumstances, with a planned resumption on 25 October under a revised schedule.

The airline attributed the filing to recurring technical issues affecting fleet availability, which it said had knock-on effects on its operational, commercial and financial activities. It did not identify which aircraft were involved. The carrier added that broader economic pressures and rising operating costs compounded the situation.

Animawings operates six Airbus A220-300s and two A320s. The revised schedule set for late October will be adjusted to the aircraft currently available in its fleet.

A220 operators have been hit hard by problems with the Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines that power the type exclusively. Hundreds of A220s have been grounded awaiting inspections and part replacements since the metal powder issue emerged in 2023. Animawings is not the only European A220 operator facing difficulties; Latvia's Air Baltic filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in September after outlining a plan to reduce its 54-strong A220-300 fleet to 36 by the end of the year.

Animawings was founded as a charter carrier by tour operator Memento Group in 2020. Aegean Airlines once held a 51% stake but sold its shareholding in early 2024. Later that year the carrier received its first A220, leased from Azorra. It said last year that it intended to grow its fleet to 18 aircraft by the end of 2027.