Around 1.200 Swedish tourists will have their plans to fly from Dalarna Airport in Borlänge to southern Gran Canaria thwarted following the partial bankruptcy of Braathens Airlines. However, the travel agency Ving—one of the largest Nordic operators—has announced its intention to resume flights from Dalarna in the summer of 2026, once the situation has stabilized. The airline, which was part of the Bra Group (Braathens Regional Airlines), had been a strategic partner for Ving and Apollo charter flights from secondary airports in Northern Europe. The suspension of its Airbus operations, used for holiday routes, immediately affects scheduled departures to winter destinations such as Gran Canaria.
"The bankruptcy took us by surprise. We're working intensively to find alternative flights," explained Claes Pellvik, Ving's communications director. "Just this morning, we had two departures from Norway and Denmark, and we've already found good solutions for them."
Since the announcement, all flights operated by Braathens for charter companies have been canceled immediately. Martina Krantz, Apollo's press officer, confirmed that the operator is managing the situation "flight by flight, day by day," while seeking replacement agreements with other airlines to ensure the winter season. "As a customer, you can rest assured that we will contact all those affected as soon as we have more information," Krantz stated. Braathens accounted for approximately 20% of Apollo's flights in the Nordic region.
In Ving's case, the Swedish airline relied on Braathens primarily for connections from regional airports such as Borlänge, Umeå, and Luleå. In total, the airline operated seven weekly flights to Ving, accounting for around 2% of its total winter traffic. The bankruptcy is a setback for regional airports such as Dala, which in recent years had tried to revive direct connectivity with winter tourist destinations across the Atlantic. Despite this, Pellvik insists that charter flights from Borlänge will return next summer, given the positive response they have received from travelers in Dalarna. "We are confident that we will find solutions in the coming weeks. We do not rule out the possibility of some flights being canceled, but in that case, customers will receive a full refund," he assured.
In a statement, Bra's owner, Per G. Braathen, acknowledged that the company had failed to secure the necessary funding to implement a phased withdrawal of its Airbus fleet. The decision directly affects approximately 200 employees, including pilots and cabin crew, and suspends winter operations for several Scandinavian travel companies.
