Darwin Airline, a Swiss regional airline under the brand name of Adria Airways Switzerland, has its planes grounded following the temporary operating license suspension by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation for economic reasons.

On November 28, 2017 the airline made a brief statement saying “Darwin Airline SA has its operating licence temporarily suspended by the Federal Office of Civil Aviation, therefore flights are currently not operating. We are working on a solution to restart operation soon”.

The Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) claimed via social media that it was the financial problems that provoked it to ground the carrier. “FOCA has immediately withdrawn Darwin (Adria Airways Switzerland) from operating license for economic reasons,” is stated in the announcement published on November 28, 2017. “Darwin is therefore no longer allowed to carry out commercial scheduled flights”.

The airline blames “unfavourable market impacts” such as the bankruptcy of Alitalia and Air Berlin (AB1) , for being the driving force behind the Darwin Airline insolvency filling on November 27, 2017, Swiss Info reports.

Darwin Airline was founded in 2003. 33.3% of its shares were acquired by Etihad Airways in 2014 and the airline was rebranded as Etihad Regional. In July 2017 it announced a change in ownership, when  the existing shareholders, including Etihad,  agreed to sell their shares to a new Swiss subsidiary of Adria Airways, rebranding the carrier again, this time ─ as Adria Airways Switzerland.

The Adria Airways Switzerland fleet is composed of six SAAB 2000 and four ATR 500 aircraft.