After a particularly horrific plane crash, standard procedure in many parts of the world is to ground the plane model that crashed or in some cases the airline’s entire fleet amid investigations.
Flamingo Air, a small regional airline shuttling locals and tourists between the different islands of the Bahamas, remains grounded after a Cessna 402 plane crashed into the bushes on Andros Island in a July 2026 accident that took the lives of all nine passengers and the pilot on board.
In Peru, a similar accident occurred at the start of August when a Caravan C-208 plane operated by tourist carrier Aerodiana crashed four miles from the Nazca Lines archeological site and took the lives of all 11 crew and passengers on board.
Air Frontier cancels all flights on twin-engine Baron planes after crash
The latest major accident took place in the Gulf of Carpentaria sea off the northern coast of Australia. A Beechcraft Baron 58 twin-engine piston utility plane operated by Darwin-based charter airline Air Frontier “crashed into the water near Isle Woodah” at approximately midday on Aug. 25 while on a non-commercial flight to move the plane to another location.
Water and air search and rescue operations for the pilot and the plane has been ongoing for the last 24 hours but, according to a statement released by the local police, “no aircraft wreckage or persons have been located” yet.
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“The aircraft was undertaking a non-commercial repositioning flight with no passengers from Gove to Numbulwar, with the pilot believed to be the sole occupant on board,” Air Frontier said in a statement on the accident.
Amid the search and investigation into what caused the accident, Air Frontier also said that it has grounded all of its Beech Baron planes “pending advice from the relevant authorities.”
The airline runs fights delivering cargo and community supplies to remote communities while its fleet contains two Baron 55 and eight Baron 58 planes that are now also grounded.
Air Frontier
Which Air Frontier flights have been called off
Other planes, including a Cessna 404 Titan and a Pa31-350 Piper Chieftain, are used to transfer passengers on charter and scenic flights and remain in operation amid the crash rescue efforts.
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Airlines that shut down in 2026:
- Flamingo Air and Aerodiana: The regional airlines with large client bases among tourists to the Bahamas and Peru, respectively, currently have suspended AOCs after fatal accidents in their home countries in July 2026.
- Spirit Airlines: The largest airline shutdown of the year occurred when Spirit Airlines canceled all remaining flights on May 2. Although the airline had filed for Chapter 11 protection twice before, the skyrocketing price of jet fuel dealt the final blow.
- Magnicharters: While not yet fully shut down, the Mexican low-cost airline canceled all flights and filed for bankruptcy in a shutdown that left thousands stranded.
- Starflite Aviation: Houston-based Starflite Aviation had its AOC license revoked in March 2026, amid FAA claims that owners falsified pilot training records to bypass safety audits.
- AlpAvia: Slovenian charter airline AlpAvia also shut down in March 2026 due to financial problems.
Related: Another airline files for bankruptcy, will liquidate