Need to know

All we know as major airline axes all flights and issues warning to staff

An airline has cancelled all flights and entered liquidation, with staff reportedly concerned about their wages after being told they may not receive the full amount they are owed

[Airplanes loading on airport]

(Image: Getty)

What you need to know after airline left grounded following liquidation

• Ascend Airways has axed all flights with immediate effect after tumbling into liquidation.
• The airline, which operated from Gatwick and Stansted airports, has surrendered its UK Air Operator's Certificate and will hand back its fleet of seven aircraft. As a wet-lease operator, Ascend provided aircraft to carriers including Oman Air, Air Sierra Leone and TUI Airways.
• Economic pressures and the jet fuel crisis sparked by conflict in Iran were blamed for the collapse. A company source revealed: "It's gone bust today, we got the news this afternoon."
• Staff were told operations would halt after the final Oman Air flight from Muscat landed at Stansted on Thursday. Workers now face uncertainty over wages, with one employee stating: "We're not going to get paid for May and we have to go through the liquidators."
• The airline originally launched in 2004 under Synergy Aviation before rebranding as Ascend Airways in 2023. However, its Malaysian division remains unaffected and "operationally stable" according to a LinkedIn post.
• READ THE FULL STORY: Major UK airline cancels all flights and tells staff they may not be paid in full