Privately owned Taiwanese carrier, Far Eastern Air Transport (FAT), will cease operations from 13 December, according to a notice on their website.
“Due to long-term operating losses and difficulty in raising funds, the company will cease operations from 13 December. We apologise for any inconvenience caused to passengers and seek their understanding.”
An image of a letter circulated on social media indicates that FAT has laid of all its employees, and their last day of employment is 13 December.
Taiwan’s Civil Aeronautics Administration confirms that it is aware of FAT’s notice and is making arrangements for affected passengers. It declined to comment further, and adds that more details will be provided at a press conference later today.
The carrier ceased operations in 2008 after entering bankruptcy and returned to service in April 2011. It eventually emerged from a seven-year bankruptcy process in October 2015, though restructuring plans that involved leasing in 20 Boeing 737-800s were not realised.
Cirium schedules data shows that FAT mainly services the domestic market but in the month of November, it operated 83 regional flights to various cities in China, Japan and South Korea, as well as Da Nang in Vietnam.
Cirium fleets data shows that FAT has 12 aircraft in its in-service fleet, comprising of six ATR 72-600s, four Boeing MD-82s, and two MD-83s. It has two other aircraft in storage, an MD-82 and an MD-83.
Cirium’s attempts to reach FAT by phone and email are so far unsuccessful.
