Copyright The Street
A long string of airline bankruptcies has marked the last months of 2025, with European low-cost carriers Play and Braathens both shutting down operations within a few weeks of each other at the start of the fall. British carrier Eastern Airways followed a month later, when it abruptly canceled all flights on October 29. The situation left thousands of travelers stranded in different holiday destinations across Europe, as competing airlines like Condor and Ryanair stepped in with rescue fares. In the United States, charter airlines such as Verijet and Corporate Air also filed for Chapter 11 protection at the same time, while Alaska-based Kenai Aviation followed just a few weeks later with a total shutdown of operations in November. Texas airline company Total Air Services files for Chapter 11 protection The latest aviation company to file for Chapter 11 protection in the U.S. is Miami-based Total Air Services. Filing in U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District of Texas El Paso, the airline is asking a bankruptcy court to grant it time to restructure its finances. El Paso lawyer Carlos A. Miranda is representing Total Air Services, and Judge Christopher G. Bradley has been assigned to the case. On its website, Total Air Services describes the company as being able to provide “business partners with out-of-the-box solutions to fit their every need in any destination.” The company was founded in 2007 outside Houston and provides services including charter flights, plane leasing, and fuel sales for those who already have the aircraft. “We supply charter aircraft to various entities, including major tour operators, VIP charters, private groups, sports teams, government agencies, and airline-to-airline sub-service,” the company writes of its service offering on its website. According to his LinkedIn profile, Silvio Tano has headed Total Air Services as CEO since 2017. Regional airlines continue to struggle with high costs, increased competition While little information about the airline’s finances or the bankruptcy itself has been made public, the news is a part of a wider market trend of smaller regional airlines struggling to bring in the necessary traffic to make up for the astronomical cost of providing air services. In October, fellow Miami charter jet company Verijet filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in the 11th circuit of the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of Florida. Other airline bankruptcies this year: Spirit Airlines (Spirit Aviation Holdings, Inc.): Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on August 29, 2025. Ravn Alaska: Ceased operations in August 2025 after earlier Chapter 11 proceedings; shut down flights and folded into other operations. Corporate Air: Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy (restructuring) in September 2025 as part of a planned sale. Verijet: Filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in October 2025, canceled all flights, and ceased operations. Kachina Air, Inc.: Filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy on October 24, 2025. While once the 13th-largest operator of charter and fractional flights in the country, Verijet ran up over $38.7 million in debt, including $10.5 million owed to jet card customers and additional liabilities to aircraft lessors, insurance companies, and various creditors. More on travel: Major airline launches surprising flight between Las Vegas and Paris United Airlines CEO gives stark warning on Olympic Games The highest rooftop in Barcelona is in a surprising place US government issues sudden warning on Switzerland travel Verijet also faced several lawsuits from customers over “numerous delays, canceled flights, and countless excuses for Verijet’s failure to provide the flight services.” As a result, it filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy to skip restructuring and go straight to liquidation.
