ZOOM is in trouble!

[Eagle]

ZOOM Airlines ( www.flyzoom.com ) have announced today that they will be ceasing all operations, effective immediately. All flights have been grounded and some planes have been seized for non-payment of airport and fuel charges.

Zoom Airlines has been trying to secure both creditor protection and new investors so they can continue to operate, however neither initiative has been successful so far. Legal notices have been filed in both Canada and the U.K.

For more complete information, have a look at www.cbc.ca/canada/calgary/story/2008/08/28/calgary-zoom.html.

Hopefully they can sort this out, as they offered good service to the U.K. and Europe!

Cheers!

[pointofnoreturn]

CUSTOMER ANNOUCEMENT


Zoom Airlines sincerely regrets to advise its customers that it has ceased operations with effect from 18:00 UTC on Thursday 28 August.

All flights scheduled to depart from have been cancelled and Zoom's aircraft have been grounded.

Both Zoom Airlines Inc and Zoom Airlines Ltd, the Canadian and UK airlines, will be filing for insolvency proceedings in their home countries today.

For customers who have future travel plans involving a Zoom flight for which reservations and payment have been made, you should refer to your credit or debit card company to apply for a refund. We have set out details of other airlines who operate the same or similar routes to those flown with Zoom in the hope that this may assist you in making alternative travel plans to replace the flights that you had booked with Zoom.

If your travel arrangements have been made as part of a holiday package originating in the UK and booked through a holiday company, you may be able to make a claim under the CAA's Air Travel Organiser's Licence scheme. For information on this, please consult the CAA ATOL website at www.atol.org.uk.

Hugh and John Boyle, the founders of Zoom, said today: "We deeply regret the fact that we have been forced to cease all Zoom operations. It is a tragic day for our passengers and more than 600 staff.

"We are desperately sorry for the inconvenience that this will cause passengers and those who have booked flights.

"We have done everything we can to support the airline and left no stone unturned to secure a re-financing package that would have kept our aircraft flying. Even as late as yesterday we had secured a new investment package but the actions of creditors meant we could not continue flying.

"The collapse of Zoom is a result of matter beyond our control. Only last year Zoom Airlines made profit, but that turned into a loss in the last year due to the unprecedented increase in the price of aviation fuel and the economic climate. The price of oil resulted in our fuel bill jumping by nearly $50 million in one year and we could not recover that from passengers who had already booked their flights.

"We would like to thank the many thousands of passengers who chose to travel with Zoom during the last seven years and efforts of the airline's staff."

We have been advised that British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are graciously offering special fares to assist Zoom customers that have been displaced by the suspension of our services.


Services offered by other airlines which may be of assistance to Zoom customers:

London Gatwick to Toronto Canadian Affair, Air Canada, Fly Globespan, British Airways
London Gatwick to Vancouver Canadian Affair, Air Canada, Fly Globespan, British Airways
London Gatwick to Calgary Canadian Affair, Air Canada, Fly Globespan, British Airways
London Gatwick to Montreal Canadian Affair, Air Canada, British Airways
London Gatwick to Ottawa Canadian Affair, Air Canada
London Gatwick to Halifax Canadian Affair, Air Canada
London Gatwick to Winnipeg No direct flights. See Air Canada for options to change planes at airports in Canada to fly on this route.
London Gatwick to New York British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines
London Gatwick to Bermuda British Airways
London Gatwick to Fort Lauderdale No direct flights. See British Airways, Virgin Atlantic and American Airlines for flights to Miami; or other US airlines for flights via hubs in America.
London Gatwick to San Diego No direct flights. See British Airways, Virgin Atlantic, American Airlines, Air New Zealand and United Airlines for flights to Los Angeles or other US airlines for flights via hubs in America.
Glasgow to Ottawa No direct flights
Glasgow to Halifax No direct flights
Glasgow to Calgary Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Glasgow to Vancouver Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Glasgow to Toronto Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Manchester to Vancouver Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Manchester to Toronto Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Belfast to Toronto Canadian Affair, Fly Globespan
Belfast to Vancouver No direct flights.
Cardiff to Toronto No direct flights
Cardiff to Vancouver No direct flights
Montreal to Paris Air Canada, Air France, Air Transat
Toronto to Paris Air Canada, Air France, Air Transat
Calgary to Paris Air Transat
Vancouver to Paris Air Transat
Montreal to Rome Air Transat, Alitalia
Toronto to Rome Alitalia

Airline website addresses:
Air Canada www.aircanada.com
Air France www.airfrance.com
Air New Zealand www.airnewzealand.com
Air Transat www.airtransat.com
Alitalia www.alitalia.com
British Airways www.ba.com
Canadian Affair www.canadianaffair.com for customers starting their journey in the UK
www.canadianaffair.ca for customers starting their journey in Canada
Fly Globespan www.flyglobespan.com
United Airways www.united.com
Virgin Atlantic www.virgin-atlantic.com

R.I.P. Zoom. They were a good budget airline. Canadians will have to find other alternative charter airliners.