Air TransportTailwind Air files for Chapter 11 after grounding commercial operations
Tailwind Air has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after cancelling all commercial flights and failing to sustain a pivot to charter-only operations.
According to court records, the New York–based carrier filed for Chapter 11 protection in the Eastern District of Virginia, Alexandria Division, on January 15, 2026. The filings were first identified by BankruptcyObserver.
Tailwind Air launched in 2014 and began commercial passenger services in 2019 after securing the required operating approvals. The airline was based at Westchester County Airport in New York and Sikorsky Memorial Airport in Connecticut.
The company struggled to achieve profitability and cancelled all scheduled commercial flights in 2024, citing weak demand and mounting losses. It attempted to continue operating as a charter-only business, but those plans did not materialise.
Bankruptcy documents show that Tailwind Air lost its Air Operator Certificate in January 2025, effectively grounding its fleet. The airline has not operated flights since then.
The filings list assets of less than $100,000, while liabilities are estimated at between $1 million and $10 million, owed to multiple creditors. Two separate Chapter 11 cases were filed under Tailwind Air Services, LLC and Tailwind Air, LLC, each reporting assets of less than $50,000.
The airline has not issued a public statement on the bankruptcy. Its chief executive, Alan Ram, had previously said the company was seeking new investors to revive proposed seaplane routes from Boston.
Tailwind Air had been known for operating by-the-seat seaplane services linking Manhattan with destinations such as Boston and Washington, DC. At its peak, the carrier operated a mixed fleet including Cessna Grand Caravan EX seaplanes, Dassault Falcon business jets and turboprop aircraft.
The scheduled seaplane services were quietly withdrawn in late 2024, ending the airline’s most visible commercial operation.
About the Author
Ricardo Meier
Creator of the website that started in 1996 as a magazine. He also writes on Brazilian websites AUTOO, MOTOO and MetrôCPTM.
