| Zoom planes grounded after airline fails to pay bills |
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Written by The Canadian Press
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Aug. 28, 2008, Montreal - Airplanes operated by Zoom Airlines have been grounded
in Calgary and Glasgow after the airline failed to pay several bills
to government, airport, suppliers and the plane's owners.
Dozens of passengers waiting in Calgary were transported to
Vancouver by WestJet Wednesday afternoon after Zoom's Boeing 767 was
grounded by court order.
The Ottawa-based airline owes more than $400,000 to the airport
authority, along with money to the airplane's owner, ground support
and refuelers.
The owner of the Boeing 767 terminated the lease on the aircraft
with Zoom, a Calgary airport spokesman said Thursday.
``There are a number of ground support agencies and services as
well as the airport authority that are owed some funds from Zoom, so
the aircraft is on the ground in Calgary pending resolution with
Zoom and the leaseholder as well as the creditors,'' Wayne Reimer,
airport duty manager, said in an interview.
In Scotland, the Civil Aviation Authority instructed the Glasgow
airport authority to detain a Boeing 757 for non-payment of charges
Eurocontrol, the European organization for the Safety of Air
Navigation, and NATS (the air traffic services provider).
The aircraft was scheduled to travel Thursday morning to Halifax
and Ottawa.
The airport is also owed money but its own detention order has
been lifted, officials said in an e-mail.
``Discussions are underway to resolve the matter. Until then, the
departing aircraft is subject to delay until further notice. A later
flight to Vancouver, light Z4375, is also delayed.''
Zoom airlines couldn't be immediately reached for comment.
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