All NewsNovember 11, 2026

Another national airline loses license, cancels all flights

With the price of jet fuel continuing to sit at historic highs, both commercial and charter airlines have seen their financial situation reach a point of no return in the final months of 2026.

Animawings, a Romanian airline running both commercial and charter flights to different cities in Europe and the Middle East, was forced to abruptly cancel all of its flights at the start of October.

Spanish charter airline AlbaStar also announced that it is canceling all flights scheduled for the rest of the year as it prepares to file for insolvency before the end of the year. In each case, the carrier cited falling traffic numbers and spiraling debt that was dealt the definitive blow when the price of jet duel spiked over the war set off by the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran.

AirExplore prepares to wind down operations and surrender AOC: Report

AirExplore, a Slovakian charter airline that began operations in 2010, is now the latest aviation name to join that list. As first reported by several European outlets, the carrier operating charter and aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance (ACMI) flights saw its total debts nearly double from €12 million at the end of 2025 to €22.4 million (roughly $25 million USD) by the end of last year.

Without any ability to turn the situation around when jet fuel spiked at the start of February 2026, AirExplore permanently ceased operations on Nov. 10 and is preparing to surrender its air operator’s certificate (AOC) in the coming days. Handed out by the aviation regulation authority by a given country, the license is required of any airline wishing to sell flights to passengers.

Related: Another airline suddenly cancels all flights, offers refunds

As Slovakia has not had a national airline since Air Slovakia was dissolved in 2010, AirExplore was the unofficial representative despite not running any commercial flights.

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The airline operated with a fleet of five Boeing 737-800 planes; in June 2023, it was acquired by the larger Lithuanian ACMI aviation group Avia Solutions Group. While there were some reports of the latter group’s plans to integrate AirExplore into the Lithuanian airline KlasJet, those plans ultimately failed to materialize.

An AirExplore plane is shown flying into Budapest.

Jozsef Soos / Getty Images

“AirExplore has ceased operations on 10 November”

While continuing operations, Avia has faced its own financial and operational pressures throughout 2026 as it made move to downsize its fleet and shake up leadership amid a mounting debt load.

Airlines that also lost their AOC licenses in 2026:

  • Izhavia: Russian regional airline Izhavia had its AOC revoked by the country’s aviation regulatory agency in July 2026 as Western sanctions over Russia’s war in Ukraine left the country’s aviation industry crippled by lack of Western parts and a reduced ability to ensure maintenance standards.
  • Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba: The Caribbean branch of the African charter airline Bestfly Aircraft Management Aruba lost its AOC in May 2026. The Aruban branch was established in 2017 to run flights between the Caribbean countries of Aruba, Bonaire, and Curaçao.
  • Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
  • AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 over financial problems.

“The Slovakian ACMI and charter airline Air Explore has ceased operations on 10 November 2026 and has submitted a request to surrender its Air Operator Certificate (AOC),” AirExplore said in a statement. “We thank all our employees, customers, partners, and team for their support over the years.”

AirExplore could not be immediately reached for comment to further expand on the reasons behind its abrupt collapse.

Related: Another holiday airline in bankruptcy, cancels all flights