Dove Airlines has been plunged into liquidation and ceased all operations after it was kept in insolvency proceedings for years as efforts to find new funding continued
Another airline has been plunged into liquidation following financial difficulties.
It follows 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 shut down its operations after entering voluntary liquidation in January. The airline was founded in 2007 and operated out of Kolkata. Dove Airlines primarily provided business and private charter services from its base in Kolkata. It was authorised to operate non-scheduled flights and managed a fleet that included a 2005-built Cessna Citation Jet 2, registered VT-DOV.
The airline has not operated flights since 2022 when it lost its last Cessna Citation Jet to creditors, according to The Street. Manufacturing company Usha-Martin divested its 50 per cent stake in the airline in 2015 due to sustained financial losses.
READ MORE: UK construction company with hundreds of employees falls into administrationREAD MORE: UK chocolate maker falls into administration after making 300 tonnes each year
The firm was kept in insolvency proceedings for years as efforts to find new funding were ongoing. However, after these proved unsuccessful, the airline chose to enter voluntary liquidation proceedings under the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Board of India (IBBI).
Mr Pranab Kumar Chakrabarty was appointed as the liquidator to oversee the distribution of assets and settlement of remaining 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 comes as Smartlynx Airlines was forced to cancel all flights after it entered administration. The firm had been in business since 1992 but was forced to cease all of its operations after facing financial difficulties since the autumn of 2025.
All aircraft were grounded after unsuccessful efforts to salvage the firm, based in Latvia. The airline had been renowned for supplying European carriers such as easyJet, which would apply their own branding to the otherwise unmarked planes. It had even extended its reach to India in recent years.
