Spain's León Airlines ceases operations just eight weeks in

León Airlines (León) has ceased operations just eight weeks after it commenced them. In a statement, the start-up said its flights had failed to attract adequate demand while state funding promised to it by the company managing Burgos airport - Consorcio del Aeropuerto de Villafría - had also not lived up to expected levels.

León Airlines, the Spanish virtual regional airline, began domestic services from Burgos to Barcelona on 5 May

The media scrum to mark the start of León Airlines’ inaugural domestic flights from Burgos to Barcelona was clearly evident on the regional airport’s apron. Not surprising really, as this route is currently the only scheduled service from the airport in northern Spain.

· Operated six times weekly with a 34-seat Saab 340, the 487-kilometre leg unsurprisingly has no direct competition, as it is currently the only route served from the northern Spanish airport. However, the airline is looking to add four more routes later in S15 – Malaga (weekly; Wednesdays) from 17 June; Menorca (twice-weekly; Thursdays and Sundays) from 18 June; Palma de Mallorca (twice-weekly; Mondays and Fridays) from 19 June; and Alicante (weekly; Saturdays) from 20 June.

Aenna