Airlines Swiss regional carrier Skywork facing financial problems

Skywork, the carrier based at Bern-Belp Airport, was forced to announce that the Federal Office of Civil Aviation has limited the operating license for economic reasons. By the end of the month, the FOCA requires a financing basis for the upcoming winter flight schedule. If Skywork does not supply it, the operating license could be withdrawn by the end of October.

Skywork Airlines was founded in 1983 as a two-man company. In its earlier years, the carrier operated as a charter airline. The first scheduled flights were carried out in 2009. Currently the airline operates a fleet of two Dornier 328-100 and three Saab 2000 from Basel and Bern-Belp.

Additionally, Swiss media reports Lugano based Darwin Airlines confirmed a fundamental restructuring process. The restructuring seems to be necessary as the airline lost codeshare contracts with Alitalia.

Regional newspaper "La Regione Ticino" reports, the carrier plans to cut jobs and analyze if all current routes could be continued. Darwin Airline was founded in 2003, primarily to connect the southern part of Switzerland, the Ticino and the main airports in Zurich and Geneva. In 2013 Etihad announced that it bought a 33% stake in the regional airline. In July 2017, Darwin Airline was rebranded as Adria Airways Switzerland after the holding company which owns the Slovenian Adria Airways bought the majority of Darwin Airline.

Regional airlines do not have it easy in Europe. Too high is the pressure and the competition by falling prices and low-cost airlines.

Over the past few years, European aviation companies have had to file for bankruptcy and have gradually disappeared from the European skies and airports.