Spanair went from Barcelona hub to overnight shutdown — a European airline's last flight

Spanair was founded in December 1986 as a joint venture between Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Viajes Marsans, starting charter flights in March 1988 and expanding to long-haul routes to the US, Mexico, and the Dominican Republic by 1991. It joined the Star Alliance in 2003 and became the leading airline at Barcelona's El Prat Airport, operating 28 aircraft to 40 destinations with 3,161 employees at its peak.

The airline was financially weak throughout its existence. SAS tried to sell Spanair in 2007 but pulled back when the financial crisis hit. In August 2008, Spanair Flight 5022, an MD-82 from Barcelona to Gran Canaria, crashed during takeoff, with 154 fatalities. The tragedy damaged the brand and morale at a time when the company was already struggling. In January 2009, SAS sold 80.1% of Spanair to a consortium of Catalan investors for €1, retaining a minority stake with loan guarantees.

The new owners could not turn the airline around. The Catalan government approved a €10.5 million loan in January 2011 to keep it operating, but this was not enough. Qatar Airways entered talks to invest but withdrew on January 27, 2012, citing insufficient government support. Spanair ceased operations that same day, stranding 23,000 passengers and putting 3,161 employees out of work. SAS took a write-down of 1.7 billion Swedish kronor ($251 million). The airline was liquidated and never resumed operations.