MILWAUKEE - Skybus Airlines, which has flights in and out of Milwaukee, is going out of business. The company ceased operations on Saturday and will file for bankruptcy.
The move left passengers stranded at Mitchell International Airport, including a very frustrated Clare Simmons. "There was just one message saying all operations are canceled starting from today and basically tough luck."
Skybus was an innovation in the airline industry when it started flying just 11 months ago. The fares were cheap, some as low as $10 a flight. The airline tried to make money by adding a fee for everything from drinks on the plane to checking your bags.
Passenger Mike Beard was a fan, until the airline left him stranded. He told TODAY'S TMJ4, "My wife texted me last night and said Skybus was out of business and I thought she was kidding. So I called her and she said, 'No... They just shut down.'"
Skybus blames fuel costs and a slumping economy. But passengers say they would have appreciated a warning. Said Simmons, "I think it's deeply disappointing that at airline would just leave people at their destination with no way to get home again."
Passengers holding reservations on Skybus flights are advised to contact their credit card companies for information on how to obtain refunds for purchased Skybus tickets.
Skybus began operating on May 22, 2007, and at the time it ceased flying was operating 11 aircraft making 80 daily flights to 15 cities around the United States.
Skybus has approximately 450 employees – 350 based in Columbus and the remainder in North Carolina. Employees were notified of the airline’s action Saturday.
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