Volotea Axes Over 10 Percent of Winter Flights in France Amid Fuel Crisis
(MENAFN) Volotea has slashed more than a tenth of its winter flying schedule in France, stranding travelers as record-high jet fuel costs and a heavy pandemic-era debt load squeeze the budget carrier, a French news broadcaster reported Monday.
The Spanish low-cost airline, a major operator of domestic French routes and links between mid-sized European cities, is battling climbing kerosene prices while carrying an estimated €250-300 million ($280-336 million) in debt left over from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the broadcaster.
Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the carrier has removed over 10% of its capacity from November through February. Bordeaux has taken the hardest hit, with cancellations up 35% from a year earlier.
Consumer group UFC Que Choisir has sharply criticized how Volotea is managing the disruption. The association pointed to passenger complaints about slow refunds and little help in arranging replacement travel.
EU rules require airlines to give passengers on canceled flights a choice: a refund within seven days or alternative transportation.
Volotea said it is paying refunds within that seven-day window. Claims for the cost of alternative travel, it added, will be reviewed case by case.
The airline is also preparing a sweeping fleet reduction, cutting from 44 aircraft to roughly 30-35. It plans to concentrate on larger planes in a bid to raise revenue per seat.
The Spanish low-cost airline, a major operator of domestic French routes and links between mid-sized European cities, is battling climbing kerosene prices while carrying an estimated €250-300 million ($280-336 million) in debt left over from the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the broadcaster.
Data from aviation analytics firm Cirium shows the carrier has removed over 10% of its capacity from November through February. Bordeaux has taken the hardest hit, with cancellations up 35% from a year earlier.
Consumer group UFC Que Choisir has sharply criticized how Volotea is managing the disruption. The association pointed to passenger complaints about slow refunds and little help in arranging replacement travel.
EU rules require airlines to give passengers on canceled flights a choice: a refund within seven days or alternative transportation.
Volotea said it is paying refunds within that seven-day window. Claims for the cost of alternative travel, it added, will be reviewed case by case.
The airline is also preparing a sweeping fleet reduction, cutting from 44 aircraft to roughly 30-35. It plans to concentrate on larger planes in a bid to raise revenue per seat.
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