Romanian Airline Halts All Flights, Stranding Israeli Travelers

The Romanian airline AnimaWings has suspended all of its flights, leaving Israeli travelers stranded in Romania. The company filed for insolvency proceedings with a court in Bucharest on September 30th, though a judicial decision has not yet been made. The suspension of operations began on Friday and is expected to last until October 24th. AnimaWings claims this is a temporary measure and intends to resume operations on October 25th with a new flight schedule and aircraft, coinciding with the start of the aviation winter season.

The airline is facing a significant crisis, having recently announced the gradual removal of six of its eight Airbus A220-300 aircraft from service due to recurring technical issues. These problems have impacted aircraft availability and, consequently, the company's commercial and financial operations. Reports indicate that two leased A220s have already left Romania for Toulouse, France, leaving AnimaWings with only two operational aircraft. Despite this, the company opted to halt all flights rather than operate a reduced schedule.

Israeli passengers who had booked return flights with AnimaWings from Romania are now forced to find alternative travel arrangements. This includes organized groups whose members must extend their stays and seek new ways to return to Israel. The extended operational halt raises concerns for other passengers who have already purchased tickets for October.

This situation adds to the travel disruptions faced by Israelis, particularly those traveling to Dubai. Bucharest is a popular destination for Israelis, and AnimaWings operated direct flights from Tel Aviv. The airline stated that the cancellation process is ongoing and that a full accounting of affected flights and passengers will be provided once data is consolidated.