Founded in 2016 and running its first flights in 2018, budget carrier Flybondi was once the second-biggest airline in Argentina after state-owned flag carrier Aerolíneas with a fleet of 15 Boeing 737-800 planes that flew to at least 23 destinations across South America.
But since June 2026, all but one of the airline’s Boeing 737 planes has been grounded amid the high cost of jet fuel, mounting debt and creditors that are edging in by freezing financial accounts.
Amid hundreds of flight cancellations both within Argentina and to neighboring of Brazil, Brazilian authorities blocked the airline from selling any new flights into their country last month. While the airline resumed some limited service between July and the start of August, it has since stopped flying again and not run a single flight since Aug. 6. The widespread cancelations since the start of the summer affected over 2,500 flights and approximately 350,000 passengers.
Flybondi cancels all flights for four weeks, may rebrand under OCA Air
As rumors of a potential bankruptcy continue to swirl, Flybondi has canceled all flights for the next four weeks but is currently selling tickets from Sept. 10 onwards to a small number of domestic destinations.
Buenos Aires-based newspaper La Nación reported that Flybondi is currently preparing to enter a court-supervised restructuring which may involve the airline being absorbed into the local logistics and postal giant OCA Air.
Related: Airline banned from selling tickets, flights may be canceled
As OCA Air is not currently in the business of commercial aviation, many serious questions about Flybondi’s post-restructuring future remain.
“No formal announcement has been made confirming that Flybondi will disappear”: Report
“No formal announcement has been made confirming that Flybondi will disappear or that its passenger operations will be transferred to an airline using the OCA brand,” reports Ricardo Meier. “The connection between the businesses nevertheless goes beyond speculation over a name change. Their previous owner has previously discussed combining Flybondi’s aviation capabilities with OCA’s logistics network, including air cargo and last-mile delivery.”
In the past, Flybondi has denied any speculation that it would exit the market as a passenger airline.
More Travel News:
- Airline to launch unusual new flight to Cayman Islands from the U.S.
- There is a very cool Irish version of swimming pigs in The Bahamas
- Unexpected country is most luxurious travel destination for 2026
- Low-cost airline launches easier way to get to Sri Lanka
The airline’s website has previously been shut down earlier in the summer, showing visitors who came to it a 404 page, but is now up and running as before.
The airline has not been providing comment on its financial situation.
Some other airlines that shut down or 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 to its operations.
- Magnicharters: The Mexican low-cost airline canceled all of its flights and eventually shut down in a collapse 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.
Related: Another airline shuts down, cancels all flights due to low demand
