Yet another airline has been thrust into liquidation following severe financial difficulties.

This comes in the wake of the liquidation of Scottish firm EcoJet Airlines, as well as Royal Air Philippines entering administration and cancelling all flights.

Indian charter carrier Dove Airlines has now ceased operations after entering voluntary liquidation in January. Founded in 2007, the airline operated out of Kolkata, primarily providing business and private charter services from its base there. It was authorised to operate non-scheduled flights and maintained a fleet that included a 2005-built Cessna Citation Jet 2, registered VT-DOV.

The airline had not operated any flights since 2022, when it lost its last Cessna Citation Jet to creditors. Manufacturing giant Usha-Martin offloaded its 50 per cent stake in the carrier back in 2015 owing to prolonged financial losses.

The firm remained mired in insolvency proceedings for several years as attempts to secure fresh funding continued. However, following the failure of these efforts, the airline opted to enter voluntary liquidation proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).

Mr Pranab Kumar Chakrabarty was appointed as liquidator to oversee the distribution of assets and the settlement of outstanding liabilities. Creditors and stakeholders were required to submit proof of their claims by February 4. “At its peak, Dove Airlines operated as a non-scheduled (charter) carrier, providing passenger and cargo services using regional aircraft like the Dornier 228,” Insolvency Tracker reports.

“Despite ambitious mid-career plans to join the government’s UDAN scheme for regional connectivity, the airline remained plagued by financial stress, grounded fleets, and legal disputes with aircraft lessors.”

This follows news that Smartlynx Airlines was compelled to cancel all flights after entering administration. The company had been trading since 1992 but was forced to halt all operations after enduring financial difficulties since the autumn of 2025.

All aircraft were grounded following unsuccessful attempts to rescue the Latvian-based firm. The airline had built a strong reputation for providing wet-lease services to major European carriers such as easyJet, which would apply their own branding to the otherwise unmarked aircraft. In recent years, the company had even expanded its operations as far as India.