Airline that had no money for fuel files for bankruptcy
The charter airline that last month was accused of forcing passengers to chip in to buy fuel in order to complete their journey from India to the UK has filed for bankruptcy.
Austrian-registered Comtel-Air, majority-owned by Indian businessman Bhupinder Kandra, has debts of 1.2 million euros, the Austrian creditors’ protection agency KSV said.
More than 180 passengers on a chartered Comtel Air flight from Amritsar in north India to Birmingham were stranded on the tarmac in Vienna during a refuelling stop after being told the airline “ran out of cash to fund the last leg of the trip”.
Passengers said the airline threatened to remove their luggage from the plane if they did not pay up.
The passengers, who refused to get off the plane in a six-hour stand-off, were finally escorted by police to ATMs to draw money.
The airline denied passengers were asked to pay for the fuel, but in a video filmed by a passenger on board they can be heard getting told “if you want to get to Birmingham, you have to pay”.
Source: The Age
Ian Jarrett
Vegas’s Billion-Dollar Secrets – What They Don’t Want Tourists to Know
Visit Florida’s New CEO Bryan Griffin Shares His Vision for State Tourism with Graham
Chicago’s Tourism Renaissance: Graham Interviews Kristin Reynolds of Choose Chicago
Graham Talks with Cassandra McCauley of MMGY NextFactor About the Latest Industry Research
Destination International’s Andreas Weissenborn: Research, Advocacy, and Destination Impact
Graham and Don Welsh Discuss the Success of Destinations International’s Annual Conference
Graham and CEO Andre Kiwitz on Ventura Travel’s UK Move and Recruitment for the Role
Brett Laiken and Graham Discuss Florida’s Tourism Momentum and Global Appeal
Graham and Elliot Ferguson on Positioning DC as a Cultural and Inclusive Global Destination
Graham Talks to Fraser Last About His England-to-Ireland Trek for Mental Health Awareness
Kathy Nelson Tells Graham About the Honour of Hosting the World Cup and Kansas City’s Future
Graham McKenzie on Sir Richie Richardson’s Dual Passion for Golf and His Homeland, Antigua
ADS PRO 
Phocuswright reveals the world's largest travel markets in volume in 2025
Higher departure tax and visa cost, e-arrival card: Japan unleashes the fiscal weapon against tourists
Cyclone in Sri Lanka had limited effect on tourism in contrary to media reports
Singapore to forbid entry to undesirable travelers with new no-boarding directive
Euromonitor International unveils world’s top 100 city destinations for 2025