On October 6th, Aviation24news reported on the financial struggles of the Romanian airline Animawings. The carrier announced the cancellation of all flights and the grounding of its entire fleet of Airbus A220 aircraft. This decision came shortly after the airline entered insolvency on September 30th, coinciding with the grounding of its A220s.
Initially, operations were anticipated to resume on October 25th, following a schedule overhaul involving their two remaining Airbus A320 aircraft.
Surprising turn
However, on October 9th, the situation took a surprising turn. Both Airbus A320s in the Animawings fleet, registered as YR-AGC and YR-AGD, were scheduled for relocation that evening from “Henri Coandă” Airport in Bucharest to Budapest.
These aircraft were originally meant to support the airline’s ongoing commercial operations. Yet, recent reports from BoardingPass.ro indicate that this plan may no longer be possible, as the leasing company has reclaimed its aircraft from Animawings.
As of now, two leasing companies have withdrawn aircraft previously operated by Animawings from Bucharest (YR-BUN and YR-RUN) and are currently parked at Toulouse airport. Two Airbus A220s (YR-DUN and YR-GUN) currently remain at Bucharest Airport, while another one is located in Timișoara (YR-FUN); all three of them are under the same leasing company. In addition to these, one aircraft (YR-CHR) was relocated from London to Bratislava on October 8, 2026.
Financial issues continue
On October 9, 2026, Animawings attempted unsuccessfully to reschedule the review date for its insolvency filing at the Bucharest Tribunal, which is still set for October 14, 2026, as reported by official sources.
The insolvency case has seen the presence of two private creditors and Eurospeed, a Suceava-based aviation fuel provider. Additionally, several domestic airports are preparing to take legal action against Animawings for unpaid debts. Reports from HotNews reveal that Animawings’ debt to ANAF, Romania’s national tax and customs administration authority, has doubled in the past three months, exceeding 2 million Euros.
In a concerning development, around 80% of the airline’s personnel have not received their salaries for September 2026. Some employees, after multiple internal requests, received a small payment of a few hundred lei on Friday, as reported by BoardingPass.
Future Remains Unclear
During an internal meeting, airline staff were informed that the airline is currently considering the cancellation of both scheduled and charter flights for the upcoming 2026/27 winter season.
The outlook appears negative, as the airline seems on the verge of losing both A320 aircraft. This situation is particularly troubling, given that Christian Tour has already transferred a significant number of charter flights from Animawings to other carriers, citing the airline’s inability to meet operational demands.
In a recent update, plans to relocate the two Animawings Airbus A320 aircraft from Bucharest to Budapest have been scrapped, with the reasons for this decision remaining unclear. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean that Animawings is holding onto these aircraft. The future of both the aircraft and the airline itself remains uncertain.
Aviation24news will continue to provide updates as the situation develops
