Volotea

Volotea is a Spanish low-cost airline whose network is centred on the European Mediterranean and western Europe. Its registered office is at Asturias Airport, moved there in 2017, and it is headquartered in Barcelona. Instead of one large hub it runs a spread of bases, mainly in France, Italy and Spain; on its about-us page, undated, the airline says it has 18 main bases and serves 100 cities in 16 European countries.

In autumn 2026 the airline is restructuring its finances. Spanish media reported on 29 September 2026 that Volotea had notified Barcelona Commercial Court No. 9 that it was opening formal negotiations with its creditors. This is a "preconcurso" under Spanish insolvency law, a step before any insolvency filing, in which management stays in control. Volotea said it was continuing to operate as normal, including flights, ticket sales and route planning, and expected to conclude the talks in December 2026. Hosteltur reported that a capital increase was also being prepared, with Aegean Airlines, PAR Capital and Alaeo, the vehicle linked to the founders, named as investors.

Founders from Vueling

Volotea was set up in 2011 by Carlos Muñoz and Lázaro Ros, who had earlier founded Vueling, through their company Alaeo. The name comes from the Spanish verb "revolotear", to flutter about. Backed by private-equity investors, the airline flew its first service on 5 April 2012 from Venice Marco Polo. It started with second-hand Boeing 717s and in November 2015 announced it would replace them with Airbus A320-family aircraft. The last of its 19 Boeing 717s left in January 2021.

Network

Volotea opens and closes routes quickly; Wikipedia reports that it opened 90 routes in its first year and closed 40 of them within two years. Its first African destination, Tangier, was added on 5 April 2019. It has taken part in Italian public-service-obligation tenders for flights to and from Sardinia, and in May 2023 signed a cooperation agreement with Eurowings covering reciprocal sales on 150 routes. Wikipedia lists codeshares with Aegean Airlines, Eurowings and ITA Airways.

Fleet

Volotea flies only Airbus A319s and A320s. Its about-us page says each aircraft has 156 seats. In early September 2026 the airline announced it would cut its fleet by around a quarter and about 50 jobs at its head office. Hosteltur reported that the smaller fleet would be mainly A320s.

2025–26

• 2025: AeroTime reported that Volotea's net loss for the year was its seventh in a row, despite record revenue. The airline blamed jet fuel prices.
• Early September 2026: fleet and staff reductions announced.
• 29 September 2026: preconcurso notification to the Barcelona commercial court reported; flights continue.
• December 2026: target date for concluding creditor talks.