Belle Air (Albania) ceases operations

[sn26567]

Belle Air (LZ, Tirana) has ceased operations effective November 25. The future of Belle Air Europe (L9, Ancona) remains unclear at the moment. Belle Air's three A319-100s and one of its two A320-200s have already been ferried to Lourdes/Tarbes and Ostrava on return to the lessors.

Belle Air operated a fleet of two ATR72-500s, three A319-100s and two A320-200s on a network predominantly focused on routes between Albania's capital Tirana and Italian destinations but also including Athens Int'l, Brussels National, Heraklion and London Stansted.

In a statement published on its website, the only scheduled Albanian carrier says it "is obliged to temporarily suspend its operations due to the general economic situation, the decline of the purchasing power, recession in the markets it operates as well as from the freezing for over 18 days of its bank accounts."

Blue Panorama Airlines (BV, Rome Fiumicino) has announced a temporary schedule to assist stranded Belle Air passengers and will operate flights from Milan Orio al Serio, Bologna, Milan Malpensa, Rome Fiumicino, Venice Marco Polo and Verona to Tirana offering special fares.

Source: ch-aviation

[sn26567]

The airline also blamed the “general economic situation, the decline of the purchasing power and recession in the markets it operates” for the suspension of services.

Belle Air was set up in 2005 and operated from Albania’s capital Tirana to 26 destinations in Europe including Brussels.

The airline said in a statement: “Belle Air will start a process of restructuring aiming to return with lower prices and quality service in the Albanian market. Following this restructuring process, Belle Air invites Albanian and foreign investors to be part of the revival of this success story of an Albanian-born business.”

So, there is a little hope to see Belle Air again in some time.

[kleineboy]

Belle Air Europe ceases operations too