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Primera Air ceases operations, leaving travelers stranded

The collapse comes less than two months after the low-cost carrier began flying from Dulles International Airport

By
October 2, 2018 at 12:30 p.m. EDT
A Primera Air jet at Dulles International Airport. The airline, which recently began service from Washington to London's Stansted Airport, ceased operations Tuesday. (MWAA)

Low-cost carrier Primera Air has declared bankruptcy and ended service Tuesday, leaving thousands of travelers stranded.

The news was posted in an announcement on the airline’s website Sunday night and came less than two months after the carrier began five-day-a-week direct service between Dulles International Airport and London’s Stansted Airport. The carrier planned to add a Dulles-to-Brussels route next June.

9/30/2018 9:00:00 PM
Dear Passengers,
Airline Primera Air and IATA codes PF and 6F have been suspended as of today, October 2nd, 2018.
On behalf of Primera Air team, we would like to thank you for your loyalty. On this sad day we are saying Goodbye to all of you.
Please visit primeraair.com for further updates in next few days. Tour Operator passengers are kindly suggested to address their Tour Operators and Agents for further information and actions.
Kindly understand that the usual options for contacts (via email or phone) can not be offered any longer.
Sincerely yours.

— Primera Air team

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam (D) and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) were among those who attended the celebration marking the carrier’s inaugural flight in August.

Primera Air was one of two low-cost carriers that launched service from Dulles this year. It offered one-way flights from Dulles to London for as low at $149.


The airline’s abrupt announcement left many passengers scrambling to find alternative ways to get home. The Times of London reported that some passengers were stuck sleeping at airports while they tried to make alternative arrangements. A note on Dulles’s website directed passengers to contact primeraair.com for additional information regarding their travel plans.

On Tuesday, Norwegian, another low-cost carrier, stepped in offering discount tickets to travelers with reservations on Primera.

Dulles officials have aggressively recruited new carriers as the airport has sought to reverse a slump in passenger traffic. The effort appears to be working, with the number of travelers passing through the airport increasing after years of decline. Volaris Costa Rica, the other low-cost carrier to launch service at Dulles, recently announced it would expand service from the airport.

Before its collapse, Primera carried more than 1 million passengers a year on an all-new fleet that included Airbus A321neo and Boeing’s 737 aircraft, according to officials at the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which manages Dulles.