Before it can take off the ground, a commercial airline needs to obtain an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC).
The operating license is issued by the aviation regulatory authority in a given country once an airline proves it has the necessary aircraft, staff, safety systems, and financial resources to stay viable in the long term.
Financial issues are the most common reason many smaller airlines see their AOCs revoked. Such instances since the start of 2026 included British charter carrier Pen-Avia, Estonia-based SmartLynx Airlines, and Austrian airline Mali Air.
In the U.S., Houston-based charter carrier Starflite Aviation also lost its AOC amid an FAA investigation into falsified pilot flying time records.
Westair Aviation in Ireland no longer has active AOC
Established out of Shannon Airport in southern Ireland in 1978, charter airline and airport ground management company Westair Aviation no longer has an active AOC, ch-aviation reports. The Westair name is shared by an unrelated Namibian airline company that is behind several local carrier brands.
On its website, the Irish Westair Aviation advertises itself as providing “reliable, cost effective, seamless private jet charter solutions.”
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It also lists faraway destinations including Johannesburg, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, and São Paulo as locations the airline flies to from Ireland.
“As Ireland’s largest private jet charter provider, our unrivaled range of aircraft and standard of service enable us to consistently deliver a personalised, tailored charter solution to suit exactly our client’s requirements,” it reads further.
Westair has not confirmed the report that it no longer has an active AOC, and information on what caused its loss is currently not publicly available. The airline has a listed fleet of planes such as the Gulfstream G650 and G700, as well as a Hawker 800XP.
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Which airlines have shut down over fuel prices this year
Along with the high-profile collapse of low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, French holiday airline Air Antilles has also filed for closure after being marked for liquidation by a judge in the French overseas territory of Guadeloupe.
The holiday airline, launched in 2002 to serve the islands making up the French West Indies, failed a safety audit in December 2025 and did not have the resources to address the issues while it was banned from running any flights.
In an April 2026 ruling, Commercial Court of Pointe-à-Pitre determined that it “was impossible” for Air Antilles “to present a recovery plan through continued operations,” Aero-News Network reported.
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: While not yet fully shut down, the Mexican low-cost airline canceled all 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.
Related: Another airline shuts down and cancels last flights
