Between the current jet fuel crisis and the regular challenges of staying afloat in a notoriously expensive industry, at least a dozen airlines have now filed for bankruptcy since the start of 2026.
Some, like Spirit Airlines, shut down following a long string of financial problems while others have gone down in scandal. In March 2026, Houston-based charter carrier Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked by the FAA amid an investigation claiming that its owners falsified pilot training records to pass safety audits.
Short for air operator’s certificate, the AOC is granted by the aviation regulatory authority of the country where the airline is based and is the primary certification that a carrier needs to secure before it can start selling flights to the public.
Legend Airlines has AOC revoked by authorities: Report
Once securing Department of Transportation permission to launch a flight between Bucharest and the U.S., Romanian charter carrier Legend Airlines has been mired in scandal since its founding in 2020.
In December 2023, authorities at Châlons Vatry Airport (XCR) in Eastern France seized an Airbus A320 plane stopped for refueling on the way to Nicaragua on suspicion that some of the 303 Indian citizens aboard were being moved for purposes of human trafficking.
Related: Another regional airline shuts down, planes retired
At the time, a lawyer for Legend Airlines argued that the route was operated by a charter airline while the carrier itself had not sold any tickets for the flight. Amid several other legal and regulatory scandals, aviation commentators like One Mile at a Time have frequently referred to Legend Airlines as the world’s “shadiest airline.”
As of February 2026, Legend Airlines has been dormant and not running any of the European flights advertised on its website. Switzerland-based aviation website ch-aviation is now reporting that Romanian Civil Aeronautical Authority (RCAA) has revoked the airline’s AOC which means that it will be unable to restart flights without obtaining new authorization.
Two of the carrier’s Airbus A340 planes have also been retired since the winter. Legend Airlines once had a fleet of four of this wide-body carrier.
What happened with Romanian charter carrier Legend Airlines
Legend Airlines has not provided comment on its current state while no other details around the airline’s shutdown are at the moment publicly available.
These airlines filed for bankruptcy 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.
- 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.
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The former Legend Airlines website that once advertised flights “by aviation experts ready to provide tailor made services to meet our client’s most particular needs” has been taken down as of May 2026.
Related: Another airline files for bankruptcy and cancels all flights