Spain's Spanair airline ceases operations:
http://abclocal.go.com/ktrk/story?section=news/national_world&id=8521104

Flights grounded as Spain's Spanair stops trading:
http://www.euronews.net/2012/01/27/flights-grounded-as-spains-spanair-stops-trading/

Spanair stops flying after Qatar deal falls through:
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/spanair-stops-flying-after-qatar-deal-falls-through-367505/

David

Thousands stranded after Spanair shuts down

Spanair has left more than 20,000 passengers stranded after running out of financing options.

The Barcelona-based airline has ceased operations leading to 647 flight cancellations.

UK low cost airlines, EasyJet and Ryanair are both offering options to passengers hit by the collapse.

Spanair said it is also working with Vueling, Iberia & Air Europa to find alternatives for passengers.

The airline said it was finalizing an agreement with IATA to get refunds for those with tickets that had yet to travel.

A statement on the airline's website advised customers with reservations to contact their credit card company, insurance company or travel agency.

"Due to these exceptional circumstances all our flights are cancelled," the statement said.

Spanair made the decision to halt operations after learning they would not receive government backed loans and talks fell through with Qatar Airways about potentially taking a stake in Spanair.

The collapse of a scheduled carrier has led to suggestions that Europe's debt crisis may spark airlines from the Mediterranean to the Baltic to consider mergers or risk failure.

SAS Group issued a statement this weekend saying that Spanair's board of directors had decided to apply for bankruptcy.

SAS divested most of its ownership in Spanair in early 2009, but it had a remaining exposure of about 1.8 billion Swedish krona leading the airline to issue profit warning.

"SAS Group will follow customary procedures as a creditor in the upcoming bankruptcy process," it said.

Spanair, a Star Alliance airline, issued a statement almost exactly a year ago warning that it was in an emergency financial situation. The airline was still recovering after an air crash in 2008 which killed 154 people.

The Spanish government says it is taking legal action against Spanair, which could result in a fine of 9million euros, for suspending its flights without proper warning.

With permission from Travelmole

Shame really. Flown on Spanair MD87, Airbus 320 and Fk 100. Always looked after and now unfortunately gives One World a major hold in Spain.

As the report says - carrier never recovered for the take off incident a couple of years ago.

Nivsy

T's a shame......
2,000 jobs, plus another 2,000 indirect jobs, lost in a country with already 5 million unemployed.

I hope it is Vueling which takes over the routes, unless O'Leary is going to employ all the Spanish workers on Spanish contracts and not Irish contracts, which will give them social security, unemployment benefits and public pension rights in Spain.
Personally, I will open a bottle of champagne and get blind drunk on the day Ryanair goes down the pan and I could toast socially dumping O'Leary.

http://www.elpais.com/articulo/english/Government/begins/probe/into/Spanair/shutdown/elpepueng/20120131elpeng_13/Ten

So would I sanji

Tony, I don't normally drink, but I would on that day, mind you, I'll probably be 'blind drunk' before I get halfway down the bottle.
It didn't take long for the vulture O'Leary to pick at the carcass.
O'Leary has 'offered' to take over the Alicante to Barcelona route, to prevent what he describes as Vueling having a monopoly.
The service will be 3 times a day, just as long as the pax can embark/disembark on foot.
O'leary has a thing about using airbridges. Far too civilised for him and he's throwing another tantrum because in the latest round between Dick Turpin and Alicante Airport, it seems he doesn't want the offer of bussing pax either and said (reported) that it was a stupid offer/idea by L'Altet.

And now Easyjet are wading in to put O'leary's nose out of joint , In fact, the airline has announced a first connection that will link Barcelona with the French city of Nice from next March 30 and, moreover, it will reach 10 daily flights between El Prat and London.
Easyjet also stressed that it has put tickets on sale through travel agencies through a new agreement with Amadeus, one of the leading providers of tourist services, which ‘makes available to many more customers' the rates of the British airline. The company also announced that "working" in the allocation of seats on its flights, has not significantly increased the price of tickets.
Stick the following articles through a translator to get the gist. http://www.elpais.com/articulo/Comunidad/Valenciana/dueno/Ryanair/cree/estupidas/ofertas/AENA/L/Altet/elpepiespval/20120201elpval_8/Tes
http://ccaa.elpais.com/ccaa/2012/02/03/catalunya/1328271562_431809.html

Sanji

O'leary has a thing about using airbridges. Far too civilised for him

Wish it was just because of his disregard for civilised behaviour, but more likely because it 'ties' you to certain gates, which might be being used by other aircraft (delayed departures or arrivals) and also takes more time for the turnround plus costs of having employees move it in and out of position.

Anything to save (him) money.

I agree, t's all about money and the 'turnaround', BmiBaby use airbridges at Malaga and they don't seem to be tied to a specific gate(s), I've departed from gate C 37, 31 and 29 in the last 18 months, and I've read where they have been known to change not just the gate, but also the zone from C to B.

Imo: O'Leary is just a first class and Alicante have said if you don't want to use airbridges, then fine, but you'll have to park up the plane further away from the terminal buiding and we will bus the pax, so why he's still bleating on is because he wants to park up a few feet away from the terminal.
Alicante don't want pax walking across a busy airfield for safety reasons, especially when the new terminal has the availability of airbridges, so O'leary is throwing his dummy and threats around again..
Sanji