The number of airlines that had to shut down since the start of 2026 and the fuel crisis set off by the U.S. strike on Iran keeps rising.
While the collapse of Spirit Airlines is the most high-profile case, Mexican holiday carrier Magnicharters also filed for bankruptcy protection in Mexico City in May while British cargo airline European Cargo entered administration, which is the process closest to bankruptcy in the United Kingdom, at the start of June.
Other recent shutdowns include Irish aircraft leasing company Priority One, Swiss charter airline Air Mountain, and the Dutch hybrid-electric airplane developer Maeve Aerospace.
Port Aviation in Türkiye no longer has active operating license: Report
The latest airline to not be able to run any flights after losing its air operator’s certificate (AOC) is, as first reported by Swiss outlet ch-aviation, Turkish charter carrier Port Aviation.
The private aviation and ground handling company known locally under the name Port Havacılık [aviation in Turkish] was established in 2014 and operated various charter, corporate and private aviation flights out of Atatürk Airport (ISL) in Istanbul.
Related: Another airline shuts down and cancels all flights over fuel crisis
After construction of the new Istanbul Airport (IST) was completed in 2019, Atatürk was transitioned to being used exclusively for private aviation.
Port Havacılık has not yet put out a statement on reports that it no longer has a valid AOC and so it is unclear whether the license that an airline needs to operate and sell flights to customers has been suspended or revoked.
It is also not immediately known whether the license was lost over financial issues (to have it, an airline needs to prove that it has the resources to stay operational in the long term) or a failed safety audit.
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What is going on with Port Havacılık in Türkiye in 2026
In Türkiye, the crucial license is granted by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation. When it is suspended, any flights that the airline planned to run need to be canceled until it is regained.
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Airlines that lost their licenses over financial issues in 2026 include British charter carrier Pen-Avia, Estonia-based SmartLynx Airlines, Austrian airline Mali Air, and Ireland’s Westair Aviation while Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC revoked in March 2026 after an FAA investigation claimed that its owners falsified pilot training time records in order to bypass safety audits.
Airlines that shut down in 2026:
- Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow to its operations.
- Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline canceled all of its flights until May 2026 in a shutdown that left thousands stranded.
- 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.
- H-Bird: Charter airline H-Bird was declared bankrupt by a Swedish judge after losing its operating license at the end of 2025.
Related: Another airline shut down in bankruptcy, to liquidate
