The aviation industry is facing a tough first half of 2026.
Most recently, Air Calédonie of the French overseas territory in the South Pacific filed for bankruptcy after its decision to move its headquarters to a different airport caused weeks of airport protests that left it unable to run flights.
Spirit Airlines in the U.S. is currently trying to emerge from a second Chapter 11 bankruptcy while other airlines that shut down since the start of the year include Houston-based charter airline Starflite Aviation and Malta-based private carrier Harmony Jets. The latter two airlines had their air operator’s certificate (AOC) stripped by regulators over safety incidents that emerged in an audit.
Sonex Aircraft to wind down operations after 28 years
Based in east-central Wisconsin, kitplane manufacturing company Sonex Aircraft is shutting down operations as both the company and its owner prepare to file for bankruptcy.
Launched in 1998 out of Oshkosh, Sonex has been a major name and close-knit community for those who build monoplane aircraft at home. Founder John Monnett is behind popular kitplane models like the Monnett Sonerai sport plane and Monnett Monerai sailplane.
Related: International travel company shuts down in bankruptcy, travelers stranded
Current owner Mark Schaible joined the company in 2003 and became its sole owner in 2022; since 2006, Sonex also operated a 5,600-square-foot parts distribution warehouse and flight center in which customers who built the kitplanes could test them.
In a video address to Sonex customers and the wider aviation community, Schaible said that “a perfect storm” of problems led to a financial situation in which he has no choice but to shut down operations.
Sonex is the company behind several popular home kit plane models.
Sonex Aircraft
“We’ve had to make this decision very suddenly”: Mark Schaible talks of “perfect storm” of financial problems
“This decision is necessitated by severe drop-off in sales and our bank’s unwillingness to carry forward our debts given some unprofitable years,” Schaible says in the video without elaborating on exact details of their finances. “We’ve had to make this decision very suddenly as a perfect storm of bank pressure, lacking sales, increasing costs, competition from our own aircraft on the used market and cash flow realities are not allowing us to continue our work.”
These airlines filed for bankruptcy in 2025:
- Spirit Airlines (Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc.): Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy for the second time on Aug. 29, 2025.
- Ravn Alaska: Ceased operations in August 2025 after earlier Chapter 11 proceedings; shut down flights and folded into other operations such as New Pacific.
- Corporate Air: Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (restructuring) in September 2025 as part of a planned sale, according to Bondoro.
- Play Airlines: The Reykjavik-based airline shut down operations and entered involuntary bankruptcy in September 2025.
- Braathens Airlines: The airline was forced to file for bankruptcy and canceled all of its flights in September2025.
In the emotional video, Schaible says that the team of nine employees “fought tooth and nail” to keep Sonex in business and that he and his wife will be filing both company and personal bankruptcies as nothing short of a last-minute investment can turn the situation around.
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The bankruptcy leaves customers who may have pending kitplane orders in question although Schaible said that the company is currently in discussions with vendors or whoever takes over production.
“It’s incredibly painful for me to bring this news to you today,” Schaible said further while expressing hopes that the “talents and dedication” of current employees will help them find jobs elsewhere in the aviation industry. “[…] In addition to the bankruptcy of the business, we are now unemployed and struggling.”