Romanian airline Dan Air has filed for insolvency to protect itself from enforcement proceedings over a debt of about €10mn owed to the Environmental Fund Administration (AFM), while insisting it will continue operating scheduled flights, Ziarul Financiar reported on October 22.

Chief executive officer Matt Ian David said the debt falls due on October 25 and the company cannot pay it in full. The airline filed for insolvency to prevent enforcement action while maintaining its operations, he said.

“We are going to have a debt due to them, which we cannot pay, and to protect ourselves from foreclosure we chose this path,” David told Ziarul Financiar. He said Dan Air had reached agreements with its aircraft leasing companies and other partners to continue operating.

The debt relates to the airline’s failure to provide mandatory carbon allowances covering its emissions under applicable emissions trading rules. David said failure to comply can lead to outstanding liabilities and penalties of about €100 per tonne of emissions. He added that Dan Air had not purchased the required allowances since 2024.

The airline has faced rising fuel costs this year, putting pressure on its finances. “This year we had to choose what we pay for – fuel or certificates – and we chose fuel,” David said, adding that the insolvency filing would not suspend scheduled flights.

Separately, Romanian airline Animawings filed a second insolvency petition after a court rejected its initial application last week because certain documents were missing, Economica.net reported.

The airline’s first petition was filed at the end of September. The court also ordered that claims submitted by 25 creditors be separated from the company’s application, with the creditors’ cases scheduled to be heard on November 11, 2026.

Animawings’ second petition was registered on October 20 under Article 66(10) of Law No. 85/2014, with a deadline of October 28.

The airline initially suspended all flights until October 25 but subsequently extended the suspension until November 15. A separate insolvency request filed by creditors remained pending as of October 22.