SkyGreece suspension strands passengers

SkyGreece Airlines temporarily ceased its operations Thursday, after days of media reports of delayed and cancelled flights to and from Pearson International Airport.

The airline, which only began commercial flights in 2014, cancelled three flights to and from Pearson Wednesday and Thursday, only a week after the airline was reportedly forced to delay all flights between Aug. 17 and 20.

Toronto media published a news release from the airline Thursday, stating that the temporary service suspension was prompted by financial setbacks the company faced as a result of the recent Greek economic crisis.

“In spite of the resulting immediate and dramatic reduction in ticket sales, the Company’s founders have worked tirelessly to maintain scheduled service,” it reads.

“Unfortunately, as a result of recent technical issues, the Company is now facing a system-wide multiday delay and significant additional expenses.”

The statement did not detail what technical issues the airline has been facing. It said only that the airline expects to resume its operations “soon.”

The airline is urging stranded passengers to contact their travel agent to make alternate arrangements.

Pearson airport’s Twitter account confirmed the airline’s grounding late Thursday. Shabeen Hanifa, a spokesperson for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority, said earlier that the company’s plane was still at Pearson. Hanifa added that after the airport was notified that Wednes- day’s and Thursday’s flights would not be taking off, Pearson has had no contact with SkyGreece.

SkyGreece’s social media accounts appear to be gone; its Facebook page has vanished and there are no tweets on the company’s Twitter account. Its website allows bookings to or from two Greek cities as well as Budapest, Montreal, Toronto, New York’s JFK airport and Zagreb.

A large number of aggrieved passengers have taken to social media to share their stories, with a Facebook group called SkyGreece Troubles emerging with around 600 members so far.

Alex Repka, a member of the Facebook group, said he was forced to shell out extra cash last week when his flight back to Toronto from Budapest was cancelled.

Annie Picard, a travel blogger, had a Sept. 19 flight from Montreal to Athens booked with the airline. She told the Star she has spent the last two days in limbo, wondering whether her flight would go ahead. She called SkyGreece’s offices and got no response.

Travel always has surprises, she said, “but this lack of communication — the company not answering the phone, it’s the first time I’ve experienced that type of situation.”

She said despite the ongoing confusion, she was glad to see the airline’s news release Thursday. With files from Riannon Westall