Slovenian airline Adria Airways has filed for bankruptcy and canceled all flights, it said Monday, after financial problems forced it to ground most of its planes over the last week. “Bankruptcy proceedings were initiated by the management of the company because of the company’s insolvency,” Adria, which is owned by German investment firm 4K Invest, said. Since last Tuesday Adria has canceled more than 400 flights affecting more than 15,000 passengers. Slovenia’s Economy Minister Zdravko Pocivalsek said earlier Monday the government was considering establishing a new airline company to improve the country’s international connections. Adria’s collapse was very damaging to Slovenia’s economy and tourism industry, the minister said. Officials were talking to Germany’s Lufthansa and Fraport, which owns Ljubljana airport, about transferring half of Adria’s flights, Pocivalsek said. A Lufthansa spokesman said it was too early to say how Adria’s flights would be replaced in the long-term. Lufthansa is currently organising flights to cover connections Adria was flying for the German group, either exclusively or via code share, he added. Slovenia’s Civil Aviation Agency last week gave Adria until Oct. 2 to present a financial plan in order to keep its operating license.<br/>
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The FAA is investigating what caused part of an engine on a United plane to come loose after takeoff. The Boeing 737 was scheduled to fly from Denver to Orlando, Florida, on Sunday, but returned and landed safely in Denver after the incident. An FAA spokesman said Monday that the plane had an issue with an engine panel. Video recorded by passengers showed the engine covering flapping loosely while the plane was in flight. Engines coming apart are dangerous because pieces can break off and become debris that strikes the plane. United tweeted that the plane returned to the terminal and customers were rebooked on different flights.<br/>
Thai Airways International's board has ordered the management team to revise a proposed aircraft acquisition plan. The carrier says that, following a board meeting on 24 September, it has been instructed to find a funding source that is "most appropriate for the current situation" and to submit the new plan within six months. It adds that the plan must ensure "the highest benefit for both Thai [Airways] and Thailand". The airline's operating loss more than doubled in Q2, to Bt7.11b ($231m). Group revenue fell 10% to Bt42.5b, while the net loss doubled to Bt6.9b. Recent local reports indicate that the airline's plan for acquiring 38 aircraft worth Bt156b was split into two phases, covering narrowbodies and widebodies. A separate plan to lease three additional aircraft was also said to be under consideration. Had the board backed the proposal, the airline would have then sought the approval of Thailand's transport ministry in October before proceeding with the acquisition. THAI says it is unable to comment on its new intentions following the board's demand that the plan be revised.<br/>