Chomedey-based airline blames Greek financial crisis
Chomedey-based startup airline SkyGreece left hundreds of passengers stranded on both sides of the Atlantic, last week, after it cancelled all its flights.
On Friday, SkyGreece issued a news release declaring that “it must temporarily cease all operations.”
Callers to its Laval headquarters could only connect to a pre-recorded message.
The company, which is run from Laval, blamed Greece’s highly publicized financial market meltdown for its woes.
“Shortly after launching scheduled international service in May, SkyGreece suffered financial setbacks as a result of the Greek economic crisis,” the airline said in a statement.”
SkyGreece said that ticket sales tanked, prompting long delays and spiking costs.
Meanwhile, marooned passengers have had to scramble to pay for tickets home on other airlines. Since it began commercial flight operations to Athens, May 23, SkyGreece announced that it had added Hungary, Croatia and Bulgaria to its itinerary. The flights were a boon to natives of those nations and their descendants, who currently have to book connecting flights to get there from Canada. SkyGreece had also announced its intent to initiate direct Athens-New York flights.
Some victims of the shutdown might be able to apply for compensation, after they return.
The Quebec Consumer Protection Bureau (www.opc.gouv.qc.ca) has a fund that reimburses travelers for airline tickets that aren’t honoured, provided that they were purchased from a licensed travel agency.
SkyGreece was founded in Athens in September 2012 by Laval resident Vasilios (Bill) Alefantis and three other Canadians of Greek origin—Montrealer Peter Chilakos, and Torontonian Nicholas Alexandris.
