BQB Lineas Aereas late last week suspended A319 service and laid off four flight crews, citing route authority denials to Cordoba (COR) and Rosario (ROS) by the Argentine authorities and unspecified Brazilian route denials too.
The Uruguayan airline claims that it is not in economic difficulties, yet it failed to pay other airlines for tickets that it endorsed to them when it canceled flights and needed to reroute passengers on said airlines. BQB has said that these payments, which are routed through the IATA (International Air Transport Association) clearinghouse, will resume normally soon. The airline claims to be in good financial health with assets of US$ 70 million, which a BQB spokesperson compared favorably to Alas U, which would be financed through a debt of US$ 15 million on the day it starts operations should it ever do so.
Editor's Note:
BQB has been flying to many Brazilian destinations and this is the first I have heard of them being denied any routes to its much larger neighbor to the north. This is also the first I have read about BQB applying for routes to Cordoba (COR) and Rosario (ROS).
These doubtful claims plus the carrier's failure to pay other airlines through the IATA clearinghouse would seem to indicate that BQB might be having financial problems in spite of its claims to have US$ 70 million in assets and being owned by the very successful Buquebus ferry company.
Sources:
http://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/bqb-fuera-iata-incumplimiento.html
http://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/bqb-viajo-hoy-buenos-aires.html
http://www.elpais.com.uy/informacion/bqb-mas-seguro-paro-airbus.html
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