All Off the Fail Plane (part deux)

Free Preview – WSJ.com

Skybus Airlines, a low-fare start-up carrier, shut down over the weekend, becoming the third U.S. airline in a week to cease operations in an industry being pummeled by high fuel prices and the weak economy.

Closely held Skybus, based in Columbus, Ohio, has 11 leased Airbus jetliners and operated 74 daily flights to 15 U.S. cities. The company quit flying Saturday with little warning after completing its Friday flights.

Eh, it’s just the abstract, but there ya go.  Things happen in threes….or at least meatsacks think they do because it’s the most common “real” prime number (2 doesn’t count, because it’s even).

All Aboard the Fail Plane

Bankrupt, ATA Cancels All Flights – New York Times

In the latest sign of troubles in the airline business, ATA Airlines shut down on Thursday, canceling all flights after filing for bankruptcy.

The airline said in a statement that it was unable to honor any tickets or reservations and asked other carriers to assist passengers stranded by the abrupt cancellations.

The Indianapolis-based airline operated 29 aircraft, carrying about 10,000 passengers daily on four routes from Chicago’s Midway Airport and several West Coast routes to Hawaii. ATA’s Web site said the company had 2,230 employees and most of them were being notified that their jobs have been eliminated. The Associated Press reported that notices were posted Thursday morning at ticket counters in cities ATA served, telling passengers that the airline had shut down.

Pretty glad this one didn’t strand me on the road.  It looks like a couple others picked up the slack, but it is still a troubling development.  Gas prices are going to continue to rise, BTW, and businesses unprepared will fail.  

All aboard the fail plane.  Err, all off it, I guess.